House democrats looking to decriminalize marijuana

[rightisright 3]

The War on Drugs has been an abysmal failure. Prior to 9/11, it was the driving force in the militarization of our police departments and no-knock warrants. It has also led to a burgeoning (read: expensive) prison population. It is also the main reason for gangs and the violence they inflict. Are any of those things positive?

 

Prohibition didn't work for alcohol so why are people still so naive as to think it will work for drugs?

 

BTW, I don't do drugs... aside from the occasional Advil for a headache...

[MarkWVU02 47]

I know a lot of successful people who smoke. It's their thing and I don't knock them for it. Some like to drink others like to toke. Who am I to tell them what to do? There's a real interesting book called The Rich Get Richer, The Poor Get Prison which explains a lot about drugs and drug laws. Basically almost all crime related to drugs is associated with the cost and illegality of the drugs. If legal, cost would go down and availability would increase this eliminating most of the crime associated with it. It's an interesting read, I had a college professor who was Delaware State Police narcotics then an FBI agent and he assigned it to us. Really opened my eyes.

[Sonnylee 20]

The current government won't allow it to be legal because there payoffs are larger with the drug cartels crossing the borders than generating tax revenue by legalizing it.

[Pythagoras 2]

I have asthma and I can't stand smoke of any kind: cigarettes, cigars, pot - all secondhand smoke sends me into coughing fits (Being at Rutgers walking between dorms, I'm faced with pot smoke more often than most people and I freaking hate it.)

 

That said: I'm a libertarian, not a statist. What someone wants to put inside their own private body on their own private property is not my business, whether it be booze, weed, or anything else.

 

But keep it out of public air, and don't you dare get one wisp of smoke in my lungs. If you force me to inhale secondhand smoke, you're basically assaulting me because of my condition.

[raz-0 1,259]

It would be next to impossible to tax and that is why I think it has taken so long to decriminalize it. Unlike tobacco one would not need a field of it to support your habit. I couldn't tell you the last time some of my friends and family have bought peppers or tomatoes. Same idea.

 

Oh please, you need much less real estate to grow a personal supply of weed than you do a personal supply of tomatoes. And it'll happily grow indoors as well. So you are right, but it isn't even remotely as limited as growing your own tomatoes.

[JackDaWack 2,895]

Why do they HAVE to tax it? what is the idea behind this? If the government cant make money off it is that a reason to keep it illegal? They would be saving millions possibly billions a year decriminalizing it, what ever tax no matter how little they actually get is still millions in their pocket.