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3 views on whether states should legalize marijuana
CSMonitor ^ | 09/10/2012

Posted on 09/11/2012 12:21:05 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd

This November, voters in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington will consider ballot measures to legalize and regulate marijuana, much as alcohol and tobacco are taxed and regulated. In this first in a series of "one minute debates" for election 2012, three writers give their brief take on the issue.

The 'yes' case is argued by Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). The 'no' position is offered by David G. Evans, a special adviser to the Drug Free America Foundation. And a middle path is suggested by Kevin A. Sabet, who has worked on drug policy under three presidents of both parties.

(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cannabis; drugs; drugwar; heroinisdope; marijuana; statesrights; warondrugs; wod; wodlist; wosd
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To: Responsibility2nd

Pot cannot be regulated like Alcohol and Tobacco.

Pot isn’t a complicated substance, it is just a weed, treat it like a tomato plant and the sturdy plant becomes a source for high quality weed, except that it is a neater, tidier plant than a tomato plant, so it is easier to grow in your closet, or spare bedroom.

Since the weed stays useful for years, you can grow your own occasionally maybe 10 pounds at once, and then use the excess for parties and casual sales, gifts to little brothers and sisters, and for in between growing seasons.


21 posted on 09/11/2012 12:54:06 PM PDT by ansel12 ( Aug. 27, 2012-Mitt Romney said his views on abortion are more lenient than the Republican Platform)
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To: Responsibility2nd
"NO LIBS. This Means Liberals and (L)libertarians! Same Thing. NO LIBS!!"

Do you dislike what Ann Ryan had to say as well? There is a big difference between a Classic Liberal and a libertarian party liberal. If you don't know the differences then you shouldn't be trolling us.

22 posted on 09/11/2012 12:54:41 PM PDT by Steve Van Doorn (*in my best Eric Cartman voice* 'I love you, guys')
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To: Responsibility2nd
Why are we caught up in diversions during an election cycle.

The party that has much to HIDE welcomes this.

23 posted on 09/11/2012 12:55:43 PM PDT by capt. norm (Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves for they shall never run out of material. c)
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To: Responsibility2nd

I favor #1.

I am exceptionally tire of the militarized LEO and their WOD and the negative effects on our civil liberties is too high a cost, IMO, to pay for the supposed benefits of interdiction and suppression of marijuana use.


24 posted on 09/11/2012 12:56:16 PM PDT by Valpal1
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To: ansel12

“There will never be significant taxes to collect.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ahh! But that’s the number one reason TO legalize it.

If you take away the tax revenue, what’s left?

I’ll tell you what’s left. HEAVY FINES and even jail time for being caught with an unregulated joint.

Is this really what you liberals want? More taxes - more legislation?


25 posted on 09/11/2012 12:56:16 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd (NO LIBS. This Means Liberals and (L)libertarians! Same Thing. NO LIBS!!)
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To: Responsibility2nd

First, we should settle the question of whether they can.


26 posted on 09/11/2012 12:56:36 PM PDT by tacticalogic ("Oh, bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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To: Ken H

“So which section of the Constitution do you personally believe delegates authority to fedgov to overrule the states on medical marijuana?”

Good point. The booze prohibitionists realized that they needed an amendment if Congress was to have the authority to ban an intoxicant. Drug prohibitionists are as bad as liberals in this respect. They are too lazy to amend the Constitution to expand the federal government’s reach, so they just expand it without any constitutional authority.


27 posted on 09/11/2012 12:56:57 PM PDT by Daveinyork
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To: Responsibility2nd
"I’ve not said that. Why do you say that?"

of course you did. Your pro-federal government regulating the substance. You can not get around that

28 posted on 09/11/2012 12:59:43 PM PDT by Steve Van Doorn (*in my best Eric Cartman voice* 'I love you, guys')
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To: discostu

I have grown pot and my grandmother used to grow tobbacco, she used it for chewing to save money, but she couldn’t make a fine Marlboro, making Scotch or whiskey is difficult and takes a lot of effort.

Growing pot is incredibly easy, it truly is a weed, in fact it can be hard to keep it out of your yard, to feed it and play with it a little gives you great pot.

Pot is easier than tomatoes, when it is legal it will be like cheap weenies during the summer, it will be shared, and gifted, people will show up at parties with free ounces, because the hobby guys and the gardeners will all be competing with each other. There won’t be anything to regulate.


29 posted on 09/11/2012 1:01:35 PM PDT by ansel12 ( Aug. 27, 2012-Mitt Romney said his views on abortion are more lenient than the Republican Platform)
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To: discostu
Prohibition didn’t work. It didn’t stop people from drinking, it drove out formerly legitimate businesses, and gave tons of money to organized crime. That’s not working, it made the problem worse by adding gun fights

Correct, but vastly undestated. Prior to Prohibition, the primary drink was beer and wine. Whiskey, Gin and other Liquors were considered "low class", and the drink of the drunkard. During Prohibition, people quickly realized that condensing the alcohol was a more efficient and profitable way to move alcohol. A keg of beer gets 20 people drunk - the same keg of Whiskey gets 200 people drunk.

Carry this over to the WOD. 20 years ago, Crack, PCP, Crystal, Meth and a host of other drugs didn't exist. We had various grades of marijuana (none of them holds a candle to the grades commonly available today) and Coke. But, because of demand and the need to concentrate the narcotics; drugs that were never contemplated 20 years ago - are commonplace today, with newer and more addicive variations appearing more and more often.

Prohibition does far more than create a criminal class, and create a very lucrative contraband product. It CREATES newer and more dangerous forms of contraband. For example, prior to Prohibition, the liquor Everclear did not exist.

30 posted on 09/11/2012 1:02:19 PM PDT by Hodar (A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.- Burroughs)
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To: Steve Van Doorn

“Do you dislike what Ann Ryan had to say as well?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An atheist libertarian? Why would I dislike what an atheist libertarian has to say?

~snort~

“There is a big difference between a Classic Liberal and a libertarian party liberal.”

A Social liberal is still a liberal. I don’t trust them. If they are wrong socially - they are wrong economically, politically, and in all other ways as well.


31 posted on 09/11/2012 1:02:27 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd (NO LIBS. This Means Liberals and (L)libertarians! Same Thing. NO LIBS!!)
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To: Captain Proton

There were a lot of positives from the Prohibition era.

It was known as the Roaring 20’s. A time of great economic prosperity.

Church Attendance per capita hit an all time high.

Admissions to mental hospitals per capita hit an all time low.


32 posted on 09/11/2012 1:03:59 PM PDT by DannyTN
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To: Valpal1

“I favor #1.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pity that your NORML heroes Barney Frank and Ron Paul are retiring, isn’t it?

A real pity.


33 posted on 09/11/2012 1:05:13 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd (NO LIBS. This Means Liberals and (L)libertarians! Same Thing. NO LIBS!!)
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To: Responsibility2nd

This is an issue that tears me. One the one hand the fedgov has no responsibility to protect people from themselves. I don’t see any reason to ban pot.

On the other hand I tend to detest pot heads. They usually have no motivation and contribute nothing to society.

I could be convinced to support legalization IF any crime involving the drug (say selling to minors) was dealt with extremely harshly, AND any health damage resulting from it’s use was not covered by any form of government aid or even private insurance (in other words, you smoke it and it kills you - tough noogies!) Of course I feel the same way towards alcohol, tobacco, not using seat belts, and riding motorcycles without helmets. It’s not my job to pay for someone else’s stupidity.

I did hear a report this morning that pot greatly increases the incidence in testicular cancer. Again, if you smoke it and your balls fall off don’t come crying to me.


34 posted on 09/11/2012 1:05:42 PM PDT by John O (God Save America (Please))
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To: Responsibility2nd
"Prohibition DID work."

Utopia through regulation is a socialist concept.

Doesn't matter if it worked or not. it is still socialism 101.

35 posted on 09/11/2012 1:06:00 PM PDT by Steve Van Doorn (*in my best Eric Cartman voice* 'I love you, guys')
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To: Steve Van Doorn

of course you did. Your pro-federal government regulating the substance. You can not get around that

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Link please. What? No link? Then you are lying.


36 posted on 09/11/2012 1:07:39 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd (NO LIBS. This Means Liberals and (L)libertarians! Same Thing. NO LIBS!!)
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To: ansel12

She could have, but you need to get the right seeds, grow them right, harvest them right, age them right and dry them right. Same thing happens with pot, there’s ditch weed which is what you probably grew, and there’s top end indica you can sell for over $1000 an ounce. There’s a lot of hard work, patience and good seeds that goes into making top end pot.

Tobacco’s legal and people aren’t running around selling ditch tobacco. If it became illegal though it would show up. Quality white markets kill low end black markets, people are willing to pay for convenience and quality.


37 posted on 09/11/2012 1:08:22 PM PDT by discostu (Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends.)
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To: Responsibility2nd

Once it is legal, then it will become fully legal.

If you have ever had a persistent problem with unwanted pot plants popping up, then you know what legalization will result in, plants will be everywhere.


38 posted on 09/11/2012 1:08:22 PM PDT by ansel12 ( Aug. 27, 2012-Mitt Romney said his views on abortion are more lenient than the Republican Platform)
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To: Responsibility2nd

Troll.


39 posted on 09/11/2012 1:08:55 PM PDT by Hemingway's Ghost (Spirit of '75)
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To: Responsibility2nd
The only things the WOD has accomplished is shredding the Fourth Amendment & making a lot of criminals rich.

If this is a war, what exactly is the exit strategy?

40 posted on 09/11/2012 1:09:16 PM PDT by gdani
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