GOP Congress to weigh legal pot in DC

Associated Press ^ | Nov 5, 2014 5:55 PM EST | Ben Nuckols

[Olog-hai]

The national marijuana legalization debate is moving into the backyard of a Republican-controlled Congress, now that the District of Columbia has voted to legalize growing, possessing and sharing small amounts of pot.

Voters in Oregon and Alaska also approved legalization initiatives, joining Colorado and Washington state, where pot is already legally available.

But while states out West enjoy both autonomy and distance, federal lawmakers have the power to quash any District law they don’t like. And with legalization getting a foothold on the East Coast for the first time, the District’s initiative could force Congress to make decisions affecting the future of legal pot nationwide. …

[shotgun]

Going rate is about $7/gram for each phase, production, process, sales.

[AppyPappy]

True but the lawyers haven’t weighed it yet. Addictive and harmful?
They smell tobacco-like money.

[pepsionice]

But add up the take, subtract taxes, rental costs, utilities, and employees....is the place really making any kind of income? Unless you grow the stuff, harvest it yourself, and run the shop yourself....there’s no profit margin worth discussing after all costs are deducted.

[shotgun]

That is after all expenses are paid. You can get 4 harvests per year

[PieterCasparzen]

Well, that’s fine. But this thread essentially does not raise heroin as subject to efforts toward legalization, so kindly take your red herring elsewhere.

Both make you "high", that is, they are mind-altering drugs. Biblically, that is a state of drunkenness. The Bible forbids drunkenness.

The Bible is the rule and guide in life for the believer in Christ, and the Christian is directed to live according to the Word of God, the Bible.

If one honestly studies the Bible, one will see this.

[Birdsbane]

Plenty of conservative pot smokers out there. Just ask most Nam and Post-Nam Vets to start with... Military institution of random urine tests in 1982 changed the logistics. A lot of bi-partisan military pot smoking going on before then. Testing just forced the smart ones to change their ways. I’m willing to bet that those people who were caught and discharged to this day are predominantly passionate liberals.

[UCANSEE2]

Do I really have to explain why mind-altering drugs should not be legalized ?

I don't know. Let's have a couple of shots of Tequila and we'll talk about it.

[UCANSEE2]

Alcohol effects you today. The mind altering effects of pot and LSD are long term and insidious.

Are you saying there are no long term effects from alcohol ?

[nascarnation]

I think over the next decade, legal grass will be irresistable to state legislatures, just like casino gambling.

Politicians love to have money to spend to buy votes and the tax take is so appealing.

[PieterCasparzen]

Do you support leaving intrastate marijuana regulation to the states, per the Tenth Amendment?

Use of mind-altering drugs, Biblically, is a state of drunkenness. The Bible forbids drunkenness.

The Bible is the rule and guide in life for the believer in Christ, and the Christian is directed to live according to the Word of God, the Bible, over and above all human-devised civil laws, which they also are exhorted to obey to the extent that they do not conflict with Scripture.

If one honestly studies the Bible, one will see this.

In order to not be anti-Christ, one must love Christ and obey his commands; the Bible specifically teaches that there is no middle ground. A person, as well as a nation, either loves Christ or hates him, because if they don't love him, they will not be obedient to him. And he said:

John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

The whole of John 14 is essential reading regarding obedience to Christ, among other subjects.

The Constitution does not explicitly declare the US to be a Christian nation; I look forward to the day when America would explicitly covenant with God, thus nationally covenant to be a Christian nation. That's the only way a nation can avoid eventually coming under God's judgement nationally.

As it was for the Scottish Covenanters, this desire is rooted on Scripture.

The precise reason why we see increasing rejection of God today in America is because our Constitution rejects him; the nation is built on a foundation of secular humanism, not God's Word. Thus most of our Churches have become corrupt themselves, and many people reject and even mock God. But the Bible tells us that Christ's Kingdom prevails in time and history, and nations will either bow the knee to Christ or fall:

Psalm 22

"27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

28 For the kingdom is the Lord's: and he is the governor among the nations."

[tacticalogic]

That sounds very much like respecting an establishment of religion.

[PieterCasparzen]

Do I really have to explain why mind-altering drugs should not be legalized ?

I don't know. Let's have a couple of shots of Tequila and we'll talk about it.

Pieter trivia: once goaded by a friend into helping him down a bottle that is in the shape of a worm - what's the brand ? I found out over time that tequila is "not my drink", if ya know what I mean.

Then I was converted, and... no more drunkenness for me. I'll still have a glass of wine, scotch with a cigar, a nice bier now and then, but I only desire moderation. It's like being full after a meal - I'll have a little, then that's it. No way did I effect this change in myself, I can't even explain it, other than it's a blessing that I ought to be ever thankful for.

[tacticalogic]

The most used/abused psychotropic (mind altering) drug is by far, caffeine.

[PieterCasparzen]

That sounds very much like respecting an establishment of religion.

Yes, it is. That is what the Bible commands (see my quote from Psalm 22). If you read up on the Scottish Covenanters, you'll see what I mean by national covenanting.

Enlightenment thinking is secular humanism, which is a rejection of God.

The financial elites and the intellectuals they financed of the "Enlightenment" era sought to be a god unto themselves. The writers of the Constitution were influenced much more by "Enlightenment" thinking than the Bible, accordingly, the only reference to God in the Constitution is one that is implied in the recording of the date, "in the year of our Lord". It says "We the People" - nothing of the nation acknowledging Christ. Very secular humanist.

[tacticalogic]

Yes, it is. That is what the Bible commands

It is also what the Constitution explicitly prohibits Congress from doing.

[PieterCasparzen]

That is not true, coffee and tea are not mind-altering. One does not get drunk on coffee and tea.

Of course, for some, they can become too fixated on them, and have difficulty functioning without them.

This gets into the coffee/tea CONTROLLING the person, which is unbiblical.

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit comforts and guides the believer, and helps them to resist temptation to sin.

But if some substance is controlling a person - then the Holy Spirit, which most certainly would overpower anything and everything, is definitely not indwelling. That is, out of concern for one’s salvation, if there is something controlling one’s life in that way, one needs to reflect on that and get right with God, such as the substance no longer will have control. The Bible tells us that we are to have assurance of our salvation and that we will see the effect of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

If one has not coffee/tea available, does one simply smile and shrug it off ? We ought to joyfully surrender our most treasured things and lay them at Christ’s feet.

I would call upon all who read this to read from the Word of God today.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ps+22&version=KJV

[PieterCasparzen]

Yes, that’s why the Constitution is anti-Christ.

Christ is to be acknowledged and loved and obeyed.

If he is not, he is being hated and rejected, whether by individual people or nationally.

As the Constitution is the law of this land, the Bible commands me to obey it, to the extent that it does not conflict with the Bible.

So I simply work towards spreading the Gospel, properly understood, and it’s message of the dominion of Christ over the nations.

[tacticalogic]

That is not true, coffee and tea are not mind-altering.

Yes, they are. Look it up. And you want to turn control of "mind altering" drugs over to a government that wants to regulate how much CO2 you can produce because it's a "pollutant".

Do you understand the concept of "unintended consequences"?

[tacticalogic]

As the Constitution is the law of this land, the Bible commands me to obey it, to the extent that it does not conflict with the Bible.

Then you should respect the 10th Amendment, leave the issue to the State legislatures where it belongs, and encourage them to pass that legislation. The Constitution imposes the restriction on Congress, not the States.

[CopperTop]

"..Alcohol effects you today. The mind altering effects of pot and LSD are long term and insidious.."

I'll strongly disagree with the alcohol effects statement. As will my mother and step-father who drank themselves into "wet brain" with vodka. Alcohol is responsible for much misery and death the world over.

Tobacco is one of the most addictive things I have ever encountered and there's no doubt that it kills people. It's effects are also "long term and insidious". The same with alcohol.

But these are the "chosen" vices, so somehow they're "OK"?

The many potheads I've known are generally somewhat shiftless and almost always non-punctual. Acid? Nobody I've known my whole life has had any ill effects from recreational use way-back-when.

My point being that any of our "recreational self destructions" can be abused. One cannot be held over the other as "better". d:^)