Somewhere on Mt. Zion, Peter Tosh is smiling right now...
 

...as Colorado and Washington "Legalize It". :clap:

GO JAGUARS!

:bong::bong::bong:


Woot!

I didnt even know that there was a discussion about legalizing pot. Good deal. The cartel is really gonna be pissed....

Unfortunately it won't hold up in court

Hey mon, great thread.

It's a Start!!!! Hell yes! :clap:

They won't use the courts. They'll use the IRS.

Why can't this country do anything that makes sense? Legalizing pot and the fair tax are two examples of what I mean.

It won't matter, the dam has broken. Once states see how they put those tax revenues to use, you're going to have the staunchest conservatives lobbying for similar measures in their states.

Don't be so sure about that.

California, in some jurisdictions, has literally taxed the dispensaries out of existence, licking the gift horse in the mouth.

I believe it's in the Bay area that they allowed all of these business to get started and established and then retroactively applied new tax code, resulting in a several hundred percent increase in taxes overnight. Several dispensaries just shut their doors.

love it

You do realize that there are currently over 3x as many marijuana stores in Denver as there are McDonalds and Starbucks combined, right? This has been in place since 2009, and although the Feds certainly haven't made it easy on us, they realize it would be political suicide in Colorado to come in a try to shut it down.

This actually gives me a slight bit of hope for our country, as it appears that--at least in 2 states--more people believe in the intelligence of ending cannabis prohibition than do still believe the brainwashing propaganda that they've been fed the last 75 years.

Good job Colorado! Good job Washington! Good job America! Chalk one up for individual freedom and liberty!

It's still illegal under federal law. That could be just a minor inconvenience to some?

As long as the mother ****ers aren't driving down the highway at 45MPH on this shit then I'm cool with it.

Pot Legal in Colorado and Washington for Recreational Use
 

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/natio...-states/58780/


Adam Clark Estes 12:42 AM ET

While you were watching to see whether Romney or Obama won Ohio, both Colorado and Washington legalized marijuana for recreational use on Tuesday. We're not talking about making medical marijuana legal or decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of pot. These two states just gave the green light to an entirely new industry including but not limited to the large scale production, distribution and sale of marijuana. Just like in Amsterdam, only more comprehensive.

There's only one problem: Marijuana is still illegal at a federal level. Ever since states started to legalize medical marijuana in the 1990s, state and federal authorities have locked horns over the enforcement of drug laws. It was entirely legal from the states' point of view for folks to run commercial marijuana farms and to set up medical marijuana dispensaries. The DEA, however, has continued to raid farms and dispensaries, leaving many to wonder if the latest marijuana initiatives will fly on a federal level.

Generally speaking, we'll have to wait and see. In both states, it's going to be a number of months before shops actually start to sell pot. When they do -- based on the legislation that voters approved on Tuesday -- the tax revenue generated will go towards important things like improving schools. Attorney General Eric Holder hasn't said yet how exactly he plans to deal with the new state provisions, but if history is any indication, he's not going to give them a free pass.

We doubt any of this news is going to get the potheads of Colorado and Washington down. Supporters of the measures have poured millions of dollars into the campaign to get them passed, and they've succeeded in two out of the three states that had legalization on the ballot. Additionally, Massachusetts legalized marijuana for medical use. No matter what the federal government does, nobody can deny that there's momentum behind the movement to legalize pot. Then again, a lot of people probably said the same thing back in the 1970s when Oregon became the first state to decriminalize pot. Forty years later, voters have legalized pot completely in two states. At this rate we should be able to buy packs of joints by the 22nd century.

As has been covered in the thread right next to the new one you started...

Holy shit, who knew!!!???


Oh, that's right - everyone in America did 10 hours ago.

V-A-C-A-T,I,O,N gunna have a toke! Cant wait for Coors Green.

Something that isn't getting any publicity related to the constitutional amendment that we just passed in Colorado, is that Amendment 64 not only regulates marijuana like alcohol, but also directs the general assembly to regulate the cultivation, processing, and sale of industrial hemp.

This is HUGE! Regardless of any backwards-ass perceptions people have about the marijuana that gets you high, I think even the most dull, uninformed, morons would have to agree that ending the ban on the cultivation and production of industrial hemp is a great thing! Good job Colorado!

Shit. May have to move back to Seattle. :bong:

So I guess Oregon didn't pass it? Surprising considering they were the very last state to criminalize it, and that was over highway funding being threatened.

:clap::clap::clap:

I posted that yesterday in another thread.

I wrote a thesis paper on industrial hemp in college. Most people have no idea how big this is, but I'm every bit as excited about the industrial hemp aspect of Amend. 64 as I am the recreational mj aspect! It really is huge, farmers in Colorado should be doing cartwheels right now!

for example, our computers and car bumpers/fenders could be made from hemp plastic with hemp fiber imbedded in them for strength much the way our currency is.

today 30 americans will die from alcohol related automobile activity.

Awesome! Hopefully they can model a plan for the rest of the states to hop on board.

except that employers will continue anti pot policies and pour the budweiser at christmas parties, which severely limits pot retail.

DUDE! WHOA!

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6...7nno1_1280.png

now we know why Manning went to Denver.

Can someone point me to a good explanation on how this is supposed to work (in Washington particularly), without the hyperbole? How is the state going to control/tax it? Are there going to be state run head shops like the liquor stores (used to be)?

^

it will eventually be legal everywhere

Also, is it only sold in Smoke Shops, or is this something we're going to find in liquor stores and 7-11's?

And you want to add to the total number of people killed by someone being under the influence of something behind the wheel?

it will be in 7-11's right next to the funyuns and hostess cakes (both which will produce record sales in 2013)

All of whom will be trying to speed around the potheads going 30 miles per hour...

I can understand the Federal Government's right to police interstate commerce, but if the pot stays here in my state, I say they have no room to do anything to any individual.

heh? is the date stamp on this post correct? I mean, isn't this post from 1936?

Where in my posts have I condoned drug use and driving?

Au contraire -- I have urged folks to obstain from these activities during obvious holiday threads.

drug related deaths are primarily related to alcohol and script drugs. not by a small margin, by a huge margin.

maybe, just maybe many of those "addict" personalities could be redirected toward a far less socially and individually dangerous drug on their way to full recovery.

From someone that has drove drunk and stoned in my youth. I know which one impaired my driving more and it wasn't alchohol.

Getting behind the wheel being anything but sober is a bad idea.

Not trying to send this off to DC or anything, but how do they know for sure? Do they routinely test for THC in every case of fatal traffic accidents?

YES. Herein lies one of the greatest opportunities of the 21st century, IMO.

I've been a HUGE proponent of hemp for about 20 years. Hemp is why marijuana is illegal... NOT BECAUSE YOU CAN GET HIGH FROM MARIJUANA... the prohibition of marijuana was an indirect ploy to make hemp illegal.

You just thought you were driving better when you were drunk. Hint: You weren't.

I didn't say it was good driving, but I know which one was worse. No studies to back it up just my broscience experience.

It looks like Federal regs are based on the scheduling of the drug. Right now pot is listed as having no medicinal value with a high likelihood of abuse. So the DEA can go after it.

Alcohol gives you a false sense of confidence. Trust me there is no way a drunk driver is safer than a stoned driver.

Trust me. I drove the damn car. Maybe not every driver does that apply for this one it does.

You might be the one exception. However, 99% of the time a drunk driver is way more dangerous than a stoned one. I wouldn't recommend either but I am more afraid of the drunk blaring his music, speeding, and swerving all over the road. Than the stoner who is driving 10 miles under the speed limit, paranoid that there are cops everywhere.

Better than being drunk and driving 95 mph lol. Which probably happens all the time.

Maybe I should rephrase. Not shit ass drunk. But maybe 4 beers deep and not about to pass out at the wheel as everything spins in circles.

I can assure you I drive better in that scenario that after smoking a fatty.

Like I said I'm all for legalization, just as long as the same DWI laws apply.

Yeah, and as someone pointed out those 2 things don't make for a good combo.

what would be the point? drug abuse is out of control because folks are forensically obsessed instead of being realistic about drug abuse.

Doctors and other medically trained experts have been systematically eliminated from national drug treatment programs in favor of medically novice or otherwise untrained police officers, security personnel & military.

What is the objective in finding the "equally debilitating amount of one drug compared to another" when we already know the nation has a drug abuse epidemic that is responsible for billion$ in spending with no impact on reduction whatsoever?

I think the question has no impact on drug abuse, obviously.

And, just to remind folks -- I am not a pot user and I rarely drink alcohol. I don't use script drugs either unless I have a specific use such as my inhalers for asthma or the Nyquil I use etc.

However, I do associate with many drug users and some abusers in my line of work. So, I do have some first hand experience with the subject.

If thousands of board certified physicians can write scrips for it every day, how can anyone claim it has 'no medicinal value'?

Peter Tosh is a great reference! Pos Rep!!! :clap:

Easy solution... you want less grass related crime, decriminalize it.

I started to reply to this, but it's just too damn ignorant to waste the time on.

What the hell is Mexico going to do with their truckloads of pot when every one in the midwest is geting it from colorado?

Colorado is about to have the Best economy in the Nation. Throw in the drug tourist with everything else the state has- wow it will be The place to live.

This.

It's going to be like the 70's, when people drove to Colorado to get Coors. But without all the drunk driving accidents on the way back to wherever they came from, of course.

Why Medical Marijuana Laws Reduce Traffic Deaths

States that legalize medical marijuana see fewer fatal car accidents, according to a new study, in part because people may be substituting marijuana smoking for drinking alcohol.

Sixteen states and the District of Columbia, have legalized medical marijuana since the mid-1990s. For the new study, economists looked at 1990-2009 government data on marijuana use and traffic deaths in the 13 states that had passed legalization laws during that time period. The data were from the National Household Survey on Drug Use and Health and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Comparing traffic deaths over time in states with and without medical marijuana law changes, the researchers found that fatal car wrecks dropped by 9% in states that legalized medical use — which was largely attributable to a decline in drunk driving. The researchers controlled for other factors like changes in driving laws and the number of miles driven that could affect the results.

Medical marijuana laws were not significantly linked with changes in daytime crash rates or those that didn’t involve alcohol. But the rate of fatal crashes in which a driver had consumed any alcohol dropped 12% after medical marijuana was legalized, and crashes involving high levels of alcohol consumption fell 14%.

The authors found that medical marijuana laws reduced crashes in men more than in women — by 13% compared to 9% — in line with data showing that men are more likely to register as medical marijuana users than women.

The overall reduction in traffic deaths was comparable to that seen after the national minimum drinking age was raised to 21, the authors note.

“We were astounded by how little is known about the effects of legalizing medical marijuana,” lead author Daniel Rees, professor of economics at the University of Colorado-Denver, said in a statement. ”We looked into traffic fatalities because there is good data, and the data allow us to test whether alcohol was a factor. … Traffic fatalities are an important outcome from a policy perspective because they represent the leading cause of death among Americans ages 5 to 34.”

The authors also found that in states that legalized medical use, there was no increase in marijuana smoking by teenagers — a finding seen in other studies as well. But, in many cases, the laws were linked with an increase in marijuana smoking among adults in their 20s; this rise was accompanied by a reduction in alcohol use by college age youth, suggesting that they were smoking weed instead.

Studies have consistently found that while mixing either marijuana or alcohol with driving is unadvisable, driving high is much safer than driving drunk. Research on stoned driving is inconsistent, with some studies finding impairment and others not; the alcohol data, however, is clear in establishing a link between drinking and significant deterioration in driving skills. The data also consistently shows that using both drugs together is worst of all.

Driving under the influence of marijuana seems to be less risky because people who are high tend to be aware that they are impaired and compensate, while alcohol tends to increase recklessness and create false confidence. Also, people are more likely to smoke weed at home or in private, rather than out at bars or other public events that require driving to get to.

The research was published by IZA, a nonprofit labor research organization associated with the University of Bonn in Germany. It is a working paper, which means it has not yet been subjected to peer review.

Maia Szalavitz is a health writer at TIME.com. Find her on Twitter at @maiasz. You can also continue the discussion on TIME Healthland’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIMEHealthland.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/12/0...#ixzz2BaBH81Vq

Marijuana isn't illegal because it's dangerous, it's dangerous because it's illegal.

Cliched though that phrase may be, it's absolutely true. The border just became a LITTLE BIT safer, and the Mexican cartels just lost a LITTLE BIT of their stranglehold over nearly every facet of Mexican life.

I think it's absolutely prudent and appropriate to restrict its sale and growth, just like alcohol.. but I think it's an absolute sham to proclaim it as a dangerous drug. If you think you're just going to have a bunch of stoned-to-the-gills kids walking around your city, you're probably unaware of how many people are already high on a daily basis. I'm not a big weed smoker (maybe a couple times a year, if that), but I certainly see no reason why it's any more dangerous than alcohol (in terms of its effects on the general public) or cigarettes (and their effect on personal health). I don't think any of the three should be prohibited, and it's very concerning that there are those who would allow the government to simply dictate to a populace what they can and cannot do in their private lives. Driving high? Give 'em a ticket.

Borrow my analogy from earlier... say that, by some irrational change in logic, hordes of people will (only now that it's legal) get stoned and hang out in public... would you rather that, or have the typical college town experiences where hordes of kids stumble into the street drunk, fighting each other, making out while stumbling over cars, and driving while severely impaired? My answer doesn't take much deliberation.

California Legalizes Recreational Marijuana (or CO/WA...who can tell the difference?)
 

Thoughts?

Hey Man, I thin

You're really, really baked?

Too many dead braincells to think. :bong:

?? They didn't have anything on the ballot this year to vote for recreational legalization. Colorado and Washington did.

Hold on, what?

good. That shit should be legal

California did? News to me.

Based on your username, I'm gonna assume you're high.

Whoops meant Colorado!

I know there's a thread in DC but I loathe that shit hole.

AS far as I know California has not legalized Recreational MJ. They have legalized Medical MJ in the past. Which is being fought by the feds.

Maybe there are some regional areas that passed something throughout the election yesterday but there was nothing on my ballot in Rural San Diego County

I think he meant to say that it was legalized in the united states of his spare room...he just calls it California.

I merged it with the other thread that was apparently posted in the Lounge this morning, then moved to DC. We can move it back if this ends up seeming too political.

The Fed's think they do and always will until all states legalize the shit.

I know you're not endorsing the DEAs view, but I'd still like to respond:

That's bullshit.

Marijuana has a number of medicinal uses. They may not be the BEST AVAILABLE treatments, but they're natural and they do produce some level of symptom alleviation.

The prohibition on weed is commonly attributed to the alcohol and tobacco companies, but the MAJOR player in the fight is the pharmaceutical industry. The natural argument to that is, "well, let the pharm companies produce their own". Never, ever. The pharm companies understand that the growth of these plants is easy and readily available, making their advances in that industry difficult-at-best.

To the medicinal uses: weed is primarily a pain alleviator. It reduces intraocular pressure (hence the "glaucoma" stereotype), and depending on strain, can reduce anxiety, break insomnia, and certainly diminish post-chemotherapy symptoms. I work with a clinical oncologist, and she is a big believer in that type of natural approach, but often is left to proscribing whichever insurance-approved pharmaceuticals (many of which present a whole host of unrelated pharmacological issues) she's left with.

How are they going to legally test you for something that is not a controlled substance?

go wash your vagina. now.