Posted on 07/18/2010 6:10:17 PM PDT by PROCON
Yeah, kind of reminds you of the Nov. 2008 election, doesn't it?!..:=(
Sure does remind me of the Nov. 2008 election.
BUMP!
The other argument stems from the "we can stop the drug cartel" line, which says that legalizing it will bring in tax revenues, etc, while taking away the cartels' power. Again, my pesky brain wonders, "Why don't they close the fricking border, then all those persons bringing it in won't, we can deal with the thousands of farms on national lands, and deport the criminals? What's wrong with hamstringing the gangs with *gasp* THE LAWS ALREADY ON THE BOOKS?"
As far as isolating the chemicals in hemp, see the pharmaceutical drug “Marinol”. It is a synthetic form of THC that is still prescribed in nearly every hospital. Even though it is the most effective drug of this type, many patients complain that synthetic THC is not as effective as the one extracted from nature.
If you read Dr. Alex Shulgin’s research on THC pharmacology, he has proven than synthetic THC is substantially different from the natural type. Shulgin was the only researcher that ever had unlimited access to schedule I drugs. There is currently no known way to synthesize THC exactly as mother nature does it.
Currently research is only allowed by a few selected(token) researchers on government produced hemp. It is so unpreserved/processed that it contains almost no chemicals.
I believe in unrestricted medical research of all cannabinoids. Our body already contains cannabinoids and associated receptors that are used in our daily lives. Hemp contains hundreds of stable compounds that are symbiotic with the human body. Not to mention the unstable compounds and their possibly infinite synthetic derivatives.
Merck and Bayer had dozens of patented hemp-based medicines before the MJ stamp act of 1936. A researcher colleague of mine once heard that Merck researchers in the 1930s isolated a pain reliever from hemp that was far more effective than Opiates but non-addictive and non-toxic.
It's time to give hemp back to the People that were free to use it since the beginning of time.
Depending on whether or not retail sale is legalized by the locality, drug tourism and the huge dollars from that would be what saves California.
Many Californians would simply grow it, and that wouldn’t be taxed. Now, that means more Californians have more money in their pocket, and when they go spend that money in stores, California would benefit from those sales taxes.
But drug tourism benefits California not only on whatever taxes are on marijuana, but all the other taxes the tourists pay.
Yeah. Some dispensary owners are against Prop 19.
I don’t think that will pan out.
California is OVERTAXED. It’s crumbling. It’s falling apart. And it’s only going to get worse. Businesses are leaving.
There was a time in American history, prior to prohibition and personal income tax, that alcohol sales generated almost 75% of the fed revenue.
Yup. Drug Tourism will be huge. California already has something to offer tourists. For at least a short period of time, California will have a monopoly on legal sale of marijuana. No medical marijuana card necessary.
The best marijuana in the world will be found for sale in California. It will be expensive. The grower will make a lot of money. The retailer will make a lot of money. The tourist will pay a lot of money and won’t care one bit because that tourist will legally be able to buy and smoke the best marijuana in the world.
Huge for California.
You’re forgetting drug tourism. A lot of people from all over the world are going to come to Cali to buy the worlds best marijuana legally. Those tourists will spend a lot of money on a lot of things beyond marijuana. That all benefits California.
If what you’re saying is that California is 100% screwed and nothing can save it, I don’t know. I’m not there. You may be right.
But drug tourism would really help California.
Did not know this. Tends to support the position that legal marijuana could lead to significant benefit to California.
The Cartels lurking just the other side of the border won't go away. They'll be on THIS side of the border, smuggling pot into AZ, NM, etc.
We'd have all the same problems, but lost a lot of territory, I fear.
They are already on this side, running vast pot farms in the boonies manned by illegals. Legalizing it may make it unprofitable to do so.
The Cartels don’t have good pot. In Cali, the average Joe will be able to grow better pot than the Cartels (which I guess is a rough synonym for Mexican Drug Gangs, yes?) provide. That level of pot and below will drop to almost free. So the Cartels won’t be selling anywhere near as much pot in Cali as they are now.
What you propose the Cartels will do will still be illegal.
Unless they get a licence. If I understand you right, you think that the Cartels will be importing pot from Mexico to CA, then transporting it from CA to AZ, NM? All still illegal.
What you might find some of is competition for the Cartels from the 25 sq ft Californians. Californians if Prop 19 passes will be able to grow, and keep where they grow, all the pot they grow. After a while, that’ll add up. If a Californian wants to end up with pounds of marijuana, they easily could in a year or 2. If the price of marijuana in AZ or NM stays anywhere near what it costs now, a Californian would end up with thousands of dollars worth of marijuana very quickly and very legally. It wouldn’t be all that hard for them to get that marijuana to AZ or NM. That extra supply would likely decrease the price of marijuana in AZ and NM, which would be bad for the Cartels / Mexican Drug Gangs.
I hope you have a better idea than that to stop a billion dollar industry.
The irony is that the more enforcement just increases the value of the industry. There was a time just 10-15 or so years ago when the weight of pot was worth more than gold. While it’s not that way anymore, it’s still worth a ridiculous amount compared to the skill/rarity it takes to grow it.
After all you can't even have a bake sale in California if you aren't licensed. I believe that you have to have a "commercial" kitchen, etc.
I can't believe that they won't require all sorts of regulations on who can sell, where, and for how much. There will still be a huge black market out there with people that don't want to become licensed (they might need there growing stations certified), but they will still have a supply to sell.
Look at liquor, it is legal, but you still can't sell moonshine.
A stoned citizen is a compliant citizen.
I’ve been trying to read as much as I can on this Prop 19 as if it passes it will likely be huge for California.
What I think I read somewhere is that if California full out legalizes the sale of marijuana, California might explicitly run afoul of Federal Law. They are apparently side stepping the issue by stating that localities - cities, counties - may legalize the sale of marijuana if they so choose. The localities may also regulate it in various different ways.
I don’t disagree that there will be legal 25 sq ft growers who decide that they might want to make a little bit of money from the pot they grew.
I suspect the drug tourists will be drawn primarily to the legal places. Why travel to California just to do what you already can do (buy illegally).
The regulations will be there in those localities who decide to allow sales. But the regulations will likely be different in different localities. Humbolt County will likely have different regulations than Palm Springs. Different people in those 2 different places and the different people will want different things. I think that’s a very good thing.
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