California Legalization: The End Of The War On Drugs?
 

Was just thinking here about what legalization might actually mean in practice. I have some random thoughts, maybe some GFY wisdom can be added here...

Whatever side of the issue you might be on, we all have to admit that full legalization of Marijuana in California is/would be a significant game changer. The first question that comes to my mind is, won't the surrounding states now have to defend their borders with California? People traveling to and from, subject to search at the borders? At what stage do they admit the War On Drugs is a lost cause?

The next question is, if it's fully legalized for anyone over the age of 21, what then happens to the 'Medical Marijuana' structure that is already in place? Do the dispensaries simply convert to a convenience store?

Will California be isolated from the rest of the US at its borders or does the rest of the country follow suit and legalize?

Thoughts? :rasta

Like the Arizona Immigration Law, legalizing weed in any one state will likely result in the Federal Government dropping the hammer, in hopes of reversing the state's ruling.

As long as it's still illegal nationally, it will not be allowed to be legal on a state by state basis... unfortunately.

Arizona is being sued because Obama, like many others, feels that their law fosters racial profiling. Legalizing MJ has no such issue.

Well that's already been proven wrong. 14 states now I believe have medical marijuana laws decriminalizing possession, use, even growing in some of them. No one is suing anyone over it.

But marijuana is illegal, except for medical purposes, and even that ruling stands on shaky ground.

The Federal law will supersede state law, and a fight will ensue... guaranteed.

Besides, isn't marijuana basically legal in California anyway? It always been part of the culture there - legal or not.

why does California feel entitled to legal weed?
why not demand to legalize coke or heroin?

It's not on "shaky ground". California has been medically legal since '94 I think. 14 states since then is not shaky ground. Yes, the federal law always overrides state, and that's what we saw with Bush. The DEA did their best to shut down marijuana in California... dispensary raids, burning fields, throwing users/patients in jail, etc.... and it didn't work. At least we have a president in office now that put a leash on the DEA.

California is Marijuana Nation. Supplier to I think over half of the US. The "war" has been over for quite some time.

Hey, I'm with you dude, but I'm pretty sure it is not going to be a slam dunk.

I don't know. Why do any of us feel entitled to anything?

You and I are born into this world naked, wet, and screaming with nothing but our flesh. We die and take nothing with us. Just like every other single human on this planet past, present, or future. So what are any of us really entitled to other than what is given to us by the rock we live on? And why does one human get to dictate what another human does with their flesh between birth and death?

Except the ton of people in the US that think it should be illegal and that it's as bad as Coke or Heroin....:upsidedow

I for one am hoping that this legislation passes and it calls into question the entirety of the "War on Drugs"...

I'm pro legalizing EVERYTHING... but before most of you flip your shit, hear me out ;)

We have no control over the demand on illegal drugs. There will ALWAYS be a demand, regardless of what you do. The only consequence of major drug busts is the cost of drugs goes up. Nobody is going to quit...

Here's what we SHOULD be focusing on and things we have within out power to change:

1) Decrease drug related violence
2) Decrease the spread of disease

When I refer to drug related violence I mean ALL drug related violence... from street gangs to muggings to burglaries to whatever...

Now imagine this scenario: All drugs are made un-illegal, I phrase it that way for a reason. Marijuana could be purchased at any store with a license (similar to alcohol) however hard drugs that are chemically addictive would be available from clinics and doctors only. Let's look at what this accomplishes:

1) All gangs pretty much dry up as they no longer have a viable product
2) Nobody needs to murder/mug/rob/etc... any person for their "next fix". They can go to a clinic and purchase the drugs for much cheaper and pick up
3) Clean needles! Reduce the spread of disease...

So there we have the two main goals accomplished. I would vote that we use a portion of marijuana sales tax to help fund the needles and narcotics that the clinics need to be able to give out. I am all for reducing the amount of violence that surrounds the illegal drug market even at the cost of minimal tax money from drug sales to fund the narcotics that addicts need...

Anyway now I'm rambling but it seems there is just too much money in the war on drugs for them to ever stop and consider something like this...

Don't kid yourself - it is NEVER about "what the people think".

Make everything legal then you don't have to have cops or prisons. Seems pretty simple to me.

With Obama in the white house, there is a chance that Obama won't make any effort to enforce federal marijuana laws. But Obama is not the entire federal government. His power is limited and he sometimes seems a little ignorant or has a lack of willpower or something.

For example, federal agents could arrest Californians and send them to federal court and then to federal prison, without going through Obama or the white house or congress at all.

Still, Obama holds a trump card. He could announce that he will pardon anyone arrested/convicted of a non-violent federal marijuana related crime. That would put a "chilling effect" on federal marijuana enforcement.

Seriously though, I doubt he has the balls or even the desire to do it. I am not really sure what to think about Obama. I dont have any faith in him anymore.

That's odd, he still speaks highly of you, whenever your name comes up.

He may not have to. If Cali legalizes, that kind of does the heavy lifting for him. They can't arrest everyone in California. Even the DEA has limits.

See, I told you...

The Obama administration's newly-released drug control strategy may set up a confrontation between the federal government and the state of California, if residents of the state pass a ballot initiative this year to legalize marijuana.

Full story here...

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_1...02-503544.html

actually, the fed gov is suing az over who is responsible for illegal immigration. just a heads-up!:winkwink:

All that really says is,...

they have nothing to report IF Cali passes.

You have a point there. The line between "okay to legalize" drugs like marijuana and "hard" drugs like heroin and cocaine are somewhat arbitrary. Their danger stem from their illegal status. There would be way less overdoses if quality was regulated. Here's more well thought REASONING behind legalization:

http://reason.com/archives/2003/06/01/h

Assuming it passes and survives the court challenges this is my thought:

1. The medical pot stores will just convert to convenience store type places where anyone can come in and buy it.

2. You will see a crop of these types of stores popping up at the borders so that people in the neighboring states can hop over the border and buy their weed. kind of like how all around the border of Nevada there are casinos that are there to service those who want to just jump in and gamble a little, but not go all the way to vegas or reno.

3. Pot will become a major cash crop in Cali. People can grow and sell it just like they would wheat or corn.

4. Hemp would then also become legal and should become a major cash crop. The uses for hemp are vast and it grows fast so the potential to make a lot of money off of it could be great.

5. There could then be a boost in the number of businesses that create and sell hemp based products.

6. The sheer amount of money raised by the taxes off the pot sales will encourage other more liberal states to follow suit.

Just a few thoughts.

When I've been to California, I was a bit shocked by a shit load of "medical" marijuana clinics and 2 pages of marijuana ads in "LA Weekly" magazine. Why your police doing nothing to stop it? WTF???

george washington grew hemp.

He grew fields of that stuff, man, that's what I'm talkin' about. Fields. He grew it all over the country, man. He had people growin' it all over the country, you know. The whole country back then was gettin' high. Lemme tell you, man, 'cause he knew he was onto somethin', man. He knew that it would be a good cash crop for the southern states, man, so he grew fields of it, man.

But you know what? Behind every good man there's a woman, and that woman was Martha Washington, man, and every day, George would come home, she'd have a big fat bowl waiting for him, man, when he'd come in the door. She was a hip, a hip, hip lady, man.

I'm all for it, but it ain't gonna happen.

If it happens I will be amazed, but even then it will be reversed in the end.

perhaps because, it is legal? LOL

And has been since, ohhhhh, 1996

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Califor...ion_215_(1996)

It's already here :xmas-smil30

a good article for you

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000..._sections_news

not exactly.

Actually Cali can do what other states have done with their gun laws. Create a law saying that if the drugs are made, sold and kept in the state they are legal. But I doubt Cali wants to test interstate commerce laws.

No, you didn't get it. Marijuana is legal there as a treatment of glaucoma, but not for everyone who can make a fake health certificate almost instantly. Everyone know that all these clinics are just a shelter for junkies. Why do they still exist?

As about the legal narcotics, so morphia is also 100% legal in almost all countries as a medical treatment against pain, but why there are no "happy medical morphia" clinics in LA? Personally I haven't seen any. Have you?

So selling medical morphia is illegal in LA, but selling medical marijuana is ok?

Let me ask again: WTF????

just go to holland and you will see it works!

A shelter for junkies? Wow. :1orglaugh

Obviously Morphine is a different class of substance altogether and has completely different effects. It's also manufactured by humans. Marijuana is a plant. There are no "happy medical morphia" clinics because it is controlled and regulated, as it should be. What, do you think all pharmaceuticals should be widely available to anyone at any time like shampoo or something? There has to be regulation and control of certain substances that we humans have created in labs. No question.

Marijuana is a plant. I've said it a million times, but it never sinks in. It is a plant.

Regulate and control it like alcohol if you must, but putting people in prison for this shit must end.

I don't want it to become legal, the government will impose new taxes and I really don't want them involved in my pot

I don't think November is a slam dunk either, but I think it's definitely headed that direction, even federally. When both of these scenarios are on the books:

DEA tries to shut it down and stop it, but can't.
DEA is told to no longer enforce.

It's a law that's on it's way out. It's just a matter of time.

Did you know that you can smoke a bong with water only?
Yeah, it's fun.

Marijuana is a narcotic. Period.

I don't care if you want to call it a Ferris Wheel, it's still a plant. Period.

Narcotic

The term narcotic (pronounced /nɑrˈkɒtɨk/) strictly refers (medically) to any psychoactive compound with morphine-like effects (see Opiate). A Narcotic is defined as a drug as opium or morphine that in moderate doses relieves pain and induces deep sleep. Excessive use can cause tremors and seizures. However, the term is also used colloquially to refer to any psychoactive drug that induces sleep. Examples of narcotics include morphine, laudanum, and heroin.

History

Narcotics are any drugs that cause central nervous system (CNS) depression and often carry a high risk of addiction. As noted above, narcotics may have morphine like qualities but some do not. The term "narcotic" is believed to have been coined by the Greek physician Galen to refer to agents that numb or deaden, causing loss of feeling or paralysis. It is based on the Greek word ναρκωσις (narcosis), the term used by Hippocrates for the process of numbing or the numbed state. Galen listed mandrake root, altercus (eclata)[1] seeds, and poppy juice (opium) as the chief examples.[2][3] ?Narcotic? is a term derived from the Greek word for stupor. It originally referred to a variety of substances that relieved pain and dulled the senses. Now, the term is used in a number of ways. Some people define narcotics as substances that bind at opiate receptors (cellular membrane proteins activated by substances like heroin or morphine) while others refer to any illicit substance as a narcotic. From a legal perspective, narcotic refers to opium, opium derivatives, and their semi-synthetic substitutes. [4]

United States

In a U.S. legal context, the term "narcotic" specifically refers to opium, opium derivatives, and their semi-synthetic or fully synthetic substitutes, as well as cocaine and coca leaves.


As you can see for yourself, Marijuana is not a narcotic, by the way.

well im guessing the flag in cali will change to a fuckin hippie sleeping under a tree. :2 cents:

i'm currently on my 2 week off time. i schmoke for 2 weeks, break for 2 weeks. keeps the weed budget down and the thc clears out so it hits hard more better. the strains these days are crazy strong but when i schmoke non-stop i find i have to do much more/