Should California Legalize Pot (POLL)

LMBO HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Only way california is going to get out of the mess they got themselves into lmbo!! Why not, alcohol is much more harmful.

How so? I assume stoned driving would be just as deadly as drunk driving.

From experience... You dont get the blurred vision from pot the way you get from alcohol. I hate to say it but just driving sober or otherwise can be just as deadly as driving high or drunk. You dont have to be high or drunk to wreck a vehicle.

True, you don't, but I was specifically taught those two activities severely impair your motor skills, and hence your ability to drive. However, it has been suggested that driving while you're extremely tired can impair you just as much. I couldn't make that comparison from experience but I find it a bit hard to swallow, personally.

Maybe it just depends on how tired they were talking.

Being tired and driving can be more dangerous then driving while on pot. Drunk driving is definitely the most dangerous.

California lost it's soul a long time ago. Legalizing pot is not going to do it. Alcohol is more harmful and causes way more many deaths.

True, Deborah. If pot is legalized, it may quickly catch up with alcohol.

Your comment may be quite inflammatory, Jan, but its lack of substance quickly catches up with the "hey dude" hating mindset of the anti pot bigot. Release the captives, Jan. The felony convictions for marijuana have ruined just as many lives as drunk driving ever did.

Liquor is easily proven to be more dangerous, and more socially destructive.

Besides, aren't we supposed to pretend to be the country of freedom? Legalize and tax it.

The only problem is with that now, we'll have more stoned than drunks on the road. Too dangerous.

HA HA. Drunk driving is no laughing matter but i would rather go around a slow moving pothead than dodge an eratic drunk driver.

I have to wonder Doug, if you are a parent. Do you realize that it is easier for children to get their hands on pot as opposed to alcohol and cigarettes simply because it is illegal? Drug dealers don't care how old their clients are, they care about the profit they earn selling the drug as a result of the black market, and those practices are caused by prohibition. In order to get it off the streets and out of schools we have to put it in the hands of responsible adults. We save $15 for every $1 we spend on treatment as opposed to law and prosecution, so we may as well take advantage of the revenue and deal with it in a humane, responsible way, which includes educating youth and treatment programs. The most dangerous thing about marijuana is getting caught. Do you want your children to attain a criminal record for possessing a non-toxic substance?

I am a parent and former teacher. I don't want my students or my childen to be hurt by drugs, to save them from a ticket.

"to save them from a ticket."? How about saving them from a felony conviction, Doug? "hurt by drugs"? No one dies from smoking marijuana, Doug.

"The only problem is with that now, we'll have more stoned than drunks on the road. Too dangerous."? I've been smoking marijuana for 15 years and I've never wrecked my car. I mean, you'd think after 15 years, if marijuana was such a bad thing for driving, I'd have screwed up by now. By the way, I love the poll results at the bottom of your article. Even though the poll questions are obviously skewed, a 96% for legalization result must be tough for you to deal with. After all, many of those who voted for legalization may be stoners also. You probably shared the road with a bunch of stoners today! I mean, dude, like Ed Rosenthal says: "We are the majority." But luckily for you, Doug, that's not such a bad thing. :)
LEGALIZE THE PLANT.

I'm watching this with interest from afar. The government has lied at the direction of big corporations about marijuana. Main Stream Media is owned by these corporations, so I expect the lying machine to be running at full tilt this fall when legalization is put to the vote. Oh yea; hell yes I would vote for it.

As long as alcohol is legal then pot should be too. And I totally agree with what Joanna says. She made some very valid points. I've known many who smoke marijuana, and they are the most productive people I know. How many who drink regulary can that be said of? With all that has ben spent fighting this lose cause, why not make money instead? And regulate it, just as with alcohol.

Dee,
It's just adding a vice to the mix and adding more drunk drivers to the road.

How is it adding more drunk drivers? Pot does not make people drink most people can drink and smoke because they get sick from it. And if they do mix they will most likley be to busy barfing for the next few hours to drive anyplace

Dee makes a good point. I am a "pothead" so i tend to socialize with "potheads" and everyone i know has had their jobs for 4 or more years and ive had my job for 8. Amanda is right as well. I know a few people that can smoke an ounce of weed in one sitting but can't drink a beer and keep it down to save their own life. As far as douggie, I think he is in the wrong place. He should try M.A.D.D.com because im not sure, i could be wrong, but i never remember being drunk from smoking a joint.

Amanda,

I think legalizing pot just adds more impaired drivers, whether their drug of choice is pot or booze.

Historic statewide initiative in California to legalize, tax, and regulate cannabis. Help build national support for the movement. Sign up on the website, join the campaign! taxcannabis.org

Do not know where you live Mr. but here if someone is on anything you can get a traffic ticket if you are driving wild or whatever.
California is so broke they need to do something to get themselves out of there mess they put themselves into.

based on the people I know id rather pot be legal then alachol.

I dont think kids should ever be around eather. I cant stand when people drink around a child and I think its worse them smoking pot around a child.

I hope it does become legal, As long as alachol is legal pot should be too.

Doug, based on your responses I am coming to the conclusion that your thoughts on this topic are strictly opinions, as your comments are do not appear to be researched and you keep saying the same thing over and over again about drunk driving. What does drunk driving have to do with marijuana legalization? I agree with what Dee says about people who smoke pot are productive members of society. When 10% of this country uses it you would imagine they have to be. Please take the time to read this article (http://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity-lifestyle/articles/living/female-stoners). You say you were a former teacher. One of my really good friends has been a high school teacher for years and he smokes pot every single day. I can pretty much guarantee that the people in your state who want to smoke marijuana already do, as it is your number one cash crop whether you like it or not. Why are you choosing to fight against an obvious revenue stream when California is almost bankrupt? Also, anyone whose taken the time to do research on this topic knows that the prohibition laws aren't working, so why not go down the route of sensible legislation and stop arresting people for using a substance way less harmful and addicting then alcohol (http://www.saferchoice.org/safercolorado06/safer-doc.html)? Do you really find throwing people in jail for possessing a non-toxic plant humane? Should that be our country's agenda, Doug? Are you comfortable with paying billions and billions in taxes toward laws that don't work and hurt families far more than marijuana itself ever could? If the government controlled it then you can kiss the black market goodbye, and isn't that what you want? Maybe you can explain this to me, but I do not understand why people who oppose legalization believe the crime rate will go up. When you legalize something you abolish the black market and therefore the crime associated with it would cease to exist. Are you not interested in lowering your state's crime rate? Do you feel comfortable that your tax money is going toward the construction of more prisons, simply because we arrest hundreds and thousands of people who for the most part don't possess more than a personal amount? Growing and using would no longer be a crime, and wouldn't you rather the government control it, tax it, and distribute it as they see fit? People have the option to brew their own beer and you're not reading news articles about people selling home brews to minors on the street. It would be the same thing with marijuana, as people would only be allowed to grow an amount for personal use only, so there would no longer be interest nor much revenue in distributing it to others. This would significantly lower use among minors, and you can read all about how that happened in Holland once they legalized it there (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_the_Netherlands). People have the option of growing their own vegetables, however it's much easier to go down to the grocery store and buy them there, and it would be the same thing if marijuana were legalized. Not to mention you would have a new billion dollar business thus more jobs if your state were allowed to grow hemp. Did you know that hemp is the strongest and most versatile fiber found on this earth? Did you know that hemp isn't marijuana? Did you know that hemp will save our rainforest because you can use it to make paper and medicine? Did you know you can use it as biofuel, and that other countries are using it as an alternative energy source? Did you know we are the only country in the world to ban hemp production? Did you know it is biodegradable and anything made from plastic can be made from hemp? You wouldn't have to worry about throwing away plastic cups and plastic bags. Did you know hemp seeds contain healthful and very powerful antioxidants that can't be found elsewhere? Did you know that it can be used to make clothes, textiles, and paints? Did you know that farmers would like to grow and distribute it to help their industry boom? http://www.truthout.org/032609U. Please, share some more of your insight on this topic once you have properly researched it and are able to come to your own conclusions based on science and not propaganda.

Joanna you're awesome. I particularly liked the comment about homebrewing. I brew beer with more alcohol and a better taste (and way more hops) than anything they sell in a liquor store for about $2 a six pack...Hey we don't have a beer problem in America, beer can be found in every town in America...and we don't have a problem with cannabis, because it also can be found in every town in America. George Washington once said, "sow it everywhere." I'm glad people had the sense to listen to him!

California isn't going to "turn into" a bunch of pot heads.... Obviously, pot is already being used or it wouldn't have made it this far...
They are already driving under the influence - you just don't see them, cuz they aren't the ones with road rage. (Road rage can be brought on by alcohol abuse...)
The people who use pot for any purpose, are far better off than the ones who are popping pain pills (and still driving).
The funny thing is - pharmaceutical companies will probably loose alot of money if it does pass. People won't need "Excedrin for Migraines" anymore. lol

From a childs perspective...
I grew up with an alcoholic parent. I wish he had pot as an alternative to alcohol.
He drank as a form of stress relief. It made him mean....

I totally disagree. I think a lot of people could go off medications if they were able to use pot. It would also bring revenue, similar to alcohol.

I think people can go off a lot of medications if they was able to use pot. Just like pain and antidepressants for instance. I have seen people go off more with alcohol

I can't believe we're discussing adding another legal dangerous drug. Aren't there already too many deaths from alcohol? I guess money is more important than human lives in California.

Prohibition is costing way more lives than legalization ever will, and marijuana is not dangerous. You can't overdose on it and it's never actually killed anyone. How can you justify putting people in jail for possessing a substance way less addictive and harmful than alcohol? Don't you find that to be way more harmful to individuals and families than marijuana? Prohibition is based on total hypocrisy -- we advertise alcohol, caffeine, and prescription drugs on television, yet billions of our tax dollars are put toward keeping marijuana users in jail and building more prisons. Marijuana prohibition is solely based on fear and propaganda that was force fed to Americans and none of which is true. Not to mention alcohol is our society's number one drug problem while marijuana is our number one cash crop.

I am not a fan of alcohol or drugs. I've seen these substances destroy lives and families. Making a substance legal does not make it right or good, does it? It just avoids a fine.

Have you heard that marijuana comes laced with PCP and other very dangerous drugs? It's not the pot of the 60's. One joint can fry a brain. I can't agree with legalization.

RE; Jan S. Why are some people so dead set on legislating morality? If you are so for it, maybe we should put a camera on your private parts so we can make sure you don't do anything immoral during your private time.

The fact that marijuana occasionally comes laced with PCP is all the more reason you should be supporting legalization. If the government controlled and regulated it then the marijuana you would buy at the general store would be considered safe, as it would no longer be coming from the black market where there are no rules. The point of making a substance legal isn't so we can tell people it's right or good, it's acknowledging the fact that we live in a free country and people have free will to make their own responsible decisions based on experience and what they decide is good for them. You have made a personal choice not to use marijuana and that is fine...as America Smith noted, you shouldn't be imposing your moral values on others. That's not what this country is about. Marijuana has been around for 1000s of years and was used by our forefathers. That isn't going away, so it's time we gained some maturity and took control of this situation. Prohibition = loss of control.

Sorry, I won't support legalizing another dangerous drug. I have children and grandchildren and will not act in any way to make their lives more dangerous.

Do you find it ironic at all that this movement to legalize pot smoking comes on the heels of legislation to ban smoking of cigarettes, cigars and pipes in public places? Don't let 'em fool you. This is all about money, not what is safe and good for America.

America,

You've asked me"Why are some people so dead set on legislating morality?" and I have to say that I don't know. You'll need to find those people and ask them.

My personal opinion is that legalizing pot, which is the issue in this post, is unwise.

Yes people have OD on pot, and yes they have died. its rare but it has happend.

More people are killed from alachol then will ever die from pot. Pot does come laced at times but if its in stores its going to be a lot safer.

Amanda -- I would like to see one study or case of people overdosing on pot, as I have heard over and over again that you need to inhale 1500 pounds of it at once to overdose on it. And yes, pot would be MUCH safer if it were sold in stores, all the more reason to legalize it.

Jan -- I guess it doesn't bother you that because pot is illegal it is much easier for minors to get their hands on it. Why? Because dealers do not ask for an ID. When I was in high school, I could walk into school not knowing where to find it, and walk out with it by the end of the day. This is because it isn't regulated by the government, and the black market is everywhere. Think about that when you think about your grandchildren. Does that make you sleep at night? When I was in high school we would have to plan a week ahead of time to get booze. Where do you think children will get marijuana once it is legalized? People won't be allowed to grow more than a personal amount to make a profit, so where is the interest? You don't read about people selling home brews on the streets to minors. If it were legalized it would have strict regulations on it, thus making it much harder for children. I think wanting legalization sends a message to your children that this substance is for adults, and then let the government distribute it as they see fit (age limits, medicinal purposes, sold in specific places, etc.). Also, how do you not see the fact that more money is what will make America safer? I watched an assembly that took place in Washington state entitled "Marijuana: It's Time for a Conversation," and one of the spokespeople brought up the point that for every $1 we spend on treatment and education as opposed to law enforcement and prosecution we in fact save $15. Hmm...keeping Americans safer by offering treatment programs AND saving money at the same time...think about that one for a while. Oh yeah, think about this as well: your grandchild tries marijuana, gets caught, and attains a criminal record. I guess you'd rather keep it illegal and give otherwise law abiding citizens a criminal record as opposed to treatment options.

They should do a study about about it.
You can OD on anything. Sometimes its just a lot harder to do.

I knew a guy whos best friend OD on pot. It took a lot more then any normal sane person would smoke sitting there but he died from it. The guy was overly depressed and just kept smoking and smoking and smoking.

You also have to rember diffrent breeds of pot have diffrent amounts of THC. One plant will have very little where another plant will have gnar amounts. Thats why when you buy pot sometimes you can smoke 2 joints b4 you feel anything and other times you take one hit and are more then high.

But it is more then rare for someone to die from a pot OD. There will always be more deaths from people choking on food then from smoking pot.

I don't think it's a good idea.

I don't drink and drive and wouldn't smoke weed and drive either... duh.

First thing I thought of was legalizing MAY help California with it's money problems too...

It will help if they tax the hell out of it as they do with cigarettes. At $10 per joint, California's might once again be the land of plenty.

Of corse they will tax the hell out of it. But it most likley wont cost much more then it already does.
$10 a joint is on the cheep side A lot of ppl pay $15. And just think if its legal and your buying it in a store when you buy a joint you dont have to smoke spit with your pot

I'm looking at it from a social research perspective, not an economic one. We are dealing with a substance that is comperable to liquor, but it also has some medical advantages to certain people, many of whom find that they are in danger from the Feds even if they are in full compliance with California law.

It is also a good idea to look at that country in Europe, Sweden, I think, that legalized pot. And yet you don't see Sweden collapsing, do you?

It is also a known fact among researchers that, much of the allure of pot is based upon the fact that it's a crime. So legalize it, but regulate it as heavily, if not better, than liquor is. That is a sensible solution.

It's wrong to tell people that not only do they have to face unending suffering for no reason in this world, but they're not permitted to do anything to feel better about it except pray.

Exactly -- legalize it to take the crime out of it. Not to mention the crime rate would go down considerably, which would free up our jails and we wouldn't have to keep dumping billions of our tax dollars to keep building more prisons.

If it is legalized, there should be a heavy sin tax with proceeds going for relief of people injured by drugged/drunken people's actions.

Making pot legal might make more room in jails, but it will make the world more dangerous.

I totaly agree, It can help so many people medicaly. No one knows exactly what it can help but i personaly i have seen it calm thyorids to the point they were almost normal. They were so bad you could see them on her neck she couldnt eat right and it almost killed her.

It gets rid of a tummy ach. I experanced that once On the way to a concert. I didnt want to go, when i dont want to do something you know its bad, and they made me go anyway. In the car they said pot would help I took a hit and bam no more pain. No one but me smoked in the car BTW.

It can stop most pain, from tooth pain to a gun shot. I would say all pain but i dont know for sure.

it helps you sleep with out all the side affects that most pills have such as sleep walking or driving, not being able to sleep with out it and not being able to wake up.

As for more idiots on the road, think about it. If they are going to smoke and drive they are already doing it. No one is going to wake up and say Hey its legal now lets go drive around smoking.

I start with a question. What about kids?

What adults do to themselves, I frankly feel is their business, but they always seem to involve children.

On the other side of the coin -

Humans will always do stuff like this. So if not for that question above, I'd go for it.
But how do we keep the kids out of the equation?

If (by some miracle) that can be done, license and tax the you know what out of it.

Same with prostitution. It is called the oldest profession for a reason.

The best way to get marijuana out of the hands of children is to legalize it. Ask any middle school or high school kid, and the same was true when I was in high school, which is easier to get. Marijuana is easier to get ahold of because drug dealers do not ask for an ID. Alcohol and tobacco are regulated by the government, so there are more restrictions and obstacles to jump over to gain possession of these substances. If it were legalized people who are interested in growing their own would be restricted on the amount, and therefore there would no longer be much interest nor revenue in selling it, especially if people had the freedom of buying weed in a general store anyway. You don't read about people selling home brewed beer to minors on the street, do you? Also, since it was legalized in Holland their rate of use among minors is lowest in the world.

Yes, the old forbidden fruit. That was my first thought, but prescribed drugs for adults are legal, and look what is happening there.

True -- mind altering substances will be attractive to the youth of this country whether they are legal or not, however I think it's better that we let the government (responsible adults) regulate them as opposed to the black market where there are no rules. We spend billions of dollars toward law enforcement and prosecution, and I believe that this country will be much better off once we direct those funds toward educating youth and providing people with the treatment programs they need. I watched an assembly that took place in Washington state entitled "Marijuana: It's Time for a Conversation," and one of the spokespeople brought up the point that for every $1 we spend on treatment and education as opposed to law enforcement and prosecution we in fact save $15. I think we need to start approaching this "war on drugs" in a more humane way, as putting people in jail for possessing marijuana does way more harm to individuals and families than marijuana alone ever could.

I live in Washington state. It was a good discussion. Hope it gets farther then that. I will vote to legalize. I feel the status quo is hopeless.

Oh were you at the assembly? I watched it online from their website and it was great. They made some very valid points.

they had bits and pieces of it on the local news.

Yeah, you know, what about the future of children? Isn't that, like, WHEN THEY GROW UP? A better future for kids is one where the government has fewer unusual ways to put them in jail, not more. And they come up with new ways to incarcerate people every year...

With less excuse. Hopefully, if California ever gets it passed, the country will see that with the forbidden fruit bit out of the way, adult usage harms only those who abuse it.

Children ape parents. Stupid parents cause SOME of the problem.
It's the dealers causing most of it here. They wnt the money.

Well - personally I don't drink and I don't do pot. But it is legal in Holland - sold in "cafes" (and also smoked there - you don't need to do anything but breathe the air in one of those places - get high on "coffee") and Holland is not exactly going down the drain. The folks who really misuse the freedom Holland offers are the tourists from other countries who can't get it at home. So maybe legalizing it (and not just in California!) would really solve a big problem - it would make it much less attractive...

Exactly. Think about the violence associated with alcohol prohibition...it ceased to exist once we legalized it. What is going on in Mexico is terrible, and our government needs to wake up and stop spending more and more money to solve the problem. That's not what we need in this economic situation.

Especially since it is not solving anything.

Exactly!

I believe the problems we have now are worse than during prohibition. Our ancestors repeal it and crime went down. We know what works in this country, yet we do the same things year after year expecting a different result. That's crazy!

It is crazy, and our government needs to wake up. Especially with all that is going on with Mexico.

Has anyone ever seen a violent pot smoker that is only under the influence of pot and no other drugs or alcohol?
Has anyone ever seen a violent drunk?
How many fatal car accidents are there that only involve pot compared to fatal car crashes that involve only alcohol?
Can alcohol help you medically?
Can pot help you medically?
There's your answer.

I want to see ALL drugs legal. Why? Because drug additics are losers in the marketplace.. no on wants to hire these losers and in fact it can be a liability to do so. Let's get rid of the competition by letting them shoot up and stone out.. I couldn't care less.

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