Well they can save probably $1Billion a year on SWAT expenditures. That's a start.

where's Lucidz to tell us about his mounds of research to the contrary?

including the infamous "well uh yeah but it's only a few billion dollars it won't make a difference"

Legalize it, sell it, profit.

It's about time this issue got more serious attention. This could solve a lot more then California's problems.

/don't smoke anymore
//don't mind in the least if you do

ohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohplease...um, uh, what are we cheering for again?

Yeah, this needs to happen.

I have a feeling that "states' rights conservatives" will do everything they can to keep it from happening....and more than a few spineless dems will join them.

Pot will save the world.

Hemp for Victory!

well, it certainly can't hurt.
Hell, they do it right, they could probably stimulate (even more) tourism out there.

SilentStrider: well, it certainly can't hurt.
Hell, they do it right, they could probably stimulate (even more) tourism out there.

I'd vacation there.

/A lot.

Doesn't matter; It's not like a state law is going to stop the DEA.

Lionel Mandrake: Yeah, this needs to happen.

I have a feeling that "states' rights conservatives" will do everything they can to keep it from happening....and more than a few spineless dems will join them.

Put this States Rights Conservative in the positive camp. I think they should be able to do it. However I think they should not.

I wish I could find the thread from about a month ago wherein I said this would come up within the next six months. Now if Obama will stick to his statement that the job of the DEA is not to try to overrule states' laws, we can get things going.

IrateShadow: Doesn't matter; It's not like a state law is going to stop the DEA.

...unless, of course, no one enforces it

ohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohplease

C'mon California, join us Massholes on the dark side... the dark green, sticky side. Makes your eyes red just thinking about it, doesn't it?

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

NittLion78: ...unless, of course, no one enforces it

Have you seen the crap that goes on with the medical marijuana facilities?

come on you CA bastards I hate you for your idiotic firearm laws but please redeem yourself by getting this shiat done and rejecting all DEA raids come on come on baby go go go

evilelvis: come on you CA bastards I hate you for your idiotic firearm laws but please redeem yourself by getting this shiat done and rejecting all DEA raids come on come on baby go go go

In return for our consideration of this, you have to accept our Emissions laws.

According to TFA CA is considering decriminalization, but TFA goes on to list benefits of legalization. The two are leagues apart.

I can see decriminalization saving them a ton in law enforcement & court costs. Just on small possession charges alone. Can't see how it's going to bring in much though. CNBC did a special last weekend. According to them, the state only brought in something like $11mil in tax revenue from that. Not a whole hell of a lot in the big picture.

timujin: I wish I could find the thread from about a month ago wherein I said this would come up within the next six months. Now if Obama will stick to his statement that the job of the DEA is not to try to overrule states' laws, we can get things going.

Yeah! Move all DEA capital down to the border. That couple with the fact that cartels no longer need mules should decrease to flow of illegal aliens. Plus the DEA needs to make sure that all drugs are either coming from America or has be processed by some clearing house. I've debated earlier that the major winners in the legalization battle are the major drug cartels. It would take years for us to produce package and sell enough weed to force out or under cut the Mexicans. The average pot head is not going to see a decrease in the price of his supply. Just the wasted money on covert transport will be replaced by the government's share. I would bet that the profit to the cartels would actually increase in the short term (1-2 years) until we can increase our natural resources.
And no, the bill for the enforcement will not decrease to zero. You still have to get the hippies that have two or three plants. Or the redneck sitting on a couple of acres. They may no longer be growing illegal drugs but they have become tax dodgers. What would be nice is if you could buy a permit to grow your own, however I do not see that happening any time soon because the only reason you are passing this is for the tax rev.
Leaving morals out of this is would be a wise move tax wise for the state.

ninjakirby: ohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohplease

I like the way you think.

The Stealth Hippopotamus: It would take years for us to produce package and sell enough weed to force out or under cut the Mexicans.



Or, you know, you can live near Oakland/Berkeley.

The Stealth Hippopotamus: What would be nice is if you could buy a permit to grow your own, however I do not see that happening any time soon because the only reason you are passing this is for the tax rev.

Why not? If the state sells permits, the state makes money.

The Stealth Hippopotamus: What would be nice is if you could buy a permit to grow your own, however I do not see that happening any time soon because the only reason you are passing this is for the tax rev.

when you get a license in California, it includes the right to grow up to, I believe, six plants (may be eight). It wouldn't be a problem to do the same for regular people, just sell tax stamp type permits that are for a certain number of plants.

timujin: when you get a license in California

Oops, I meant prescription, not license....

Uchiha_Cycliste: The Stealth Hippopotamus: It would take years for us to produce package and sell enough weed to force out or under cut the Mexicans.



Or, you know, you can live near Oakland/Berkeley.

(Cough) (Cough) Humboldt (cough) (cough)

/Anyone's mouth, like really dry? God, I could use a pizza

The Stealth Hippopotamus: It would take years for us to produce package and sell enough weed to force out or under cut the Mexicans.

I haven't seen Mexican weed in years. Every pot smoker I know would scrape his pipe before buying that crap. That's like not starting a fine winery in Sonoma because you'd be "undercut" by Thunderbird.

Some people will always buy the ditchweed (especially those not lucky enough to live up here), but many will pay extra for the good NorCal stuff. shiat, we'd probably start exporting it to Mexico. It won't eliminate enforcement, but it would come close. And there's little "start up" needed. The farms and farmers are established. They'd pool their resources locally, print out some labels, buy one of those baggie heat-sealer things and gather family and friends around to process and bag it. Maybe even hire a few people. What the hell am I saying, that's what they already do!

OK, I may be oversimplifying, but not much. The industry is well-established and there is a huge and growing demand.

Yeah, legalization strikes me as a great idea, even though I don't smoke.

Home growers could buy licenses from the state, as could corporations who could then sell refined product to consumers. Then tax the bejeezers out of that like they do with tobacco and alcohol and voila! Instant revenue from sales and instant decrease in expenditures from prosecution and incarceration of people for possession (not to mention the revenue from fines for DUIs, which are a hell of a lot easier and cheaper for the DA to prosecute than possession charges, AIUI). All the benefits to the majority of the current laws, with almost none of the detriments.

The only argument against this that I can see having any merit comes from the people in the "prosecution industry" who benefit from seizure of property. And that's a purely self-interest motivated argument in favor of benefiting the few at the expense of the many.

Are there any other valid arguments for continued criminalization of pot?

/Please no slippery slope arguments, thank you.

The Stealth Hippopotamus: It would take years for us to produce package and sell enough weed to force out or under cut the Mexicans.

Um... have you been to the Pacific Northwest/Northern California?

Better late than never.

IrateShadow: NittLion78: ...unless, of course, no one enforces it

Have you seen the crap that goes on with the medical marijuana facilities?

I have friends that work at one. Trust me, they're breathing a lot easier these days. Obama's already calling off the feds.

Ennuipoet: (Cough) (Cough) Humboldt (cough) (cough)

Yeah, but there's no Silicon Valley in Humboldt.

I see Big Pharma and the prison lobby joining together and going balls out against this.

I like getting drunkFloydA: Are there any other valid arguments for continued criminalization of pot?



Causing trouble, your stinking rabble
Boys saying Im the lad whos spoiling it
Youre on drugs it really bugs me when people try and tell me Im a thug
Just for getting drunk

Uchiha_Cycliste: I like getting drunkFloydA: Are there any other valid arguments for continued criminalization of pot?



Causing trouble, your stinking rabble
Boys saying Im the lad whos spoiling it
Youre on drugs it really bugs me when people try and tell me Im a thug
Just for getting drunk


OK, fair point. Pot smoking makes people from Birmingham think that they're rappers. That's reason enough for it to be illegal. ;-)

California and Maine would both have fine cash crops. And save a ton in law enforcement, and with their prisons as well. Not to mention not clogging up the courts. And the jails would be less crowded as well.

I just don't care. I don't. I don't smoke, but I don't care if you do--so long as your ass is not driving at 15 under the speed limit and staring at your farking left blinker for three miles.

Legalize it. Sell it. Tax it. And free up the industrial uses for hemp while you're at it, please.

Maine would have some kerbubbles as the paper industry might have some hiccups as they tried to figure out if hemp paper was cheaper, and what the heck the logging industry was going to do with all that damn land and the investment in equipment, but that would sort itself out with market forces.

But in the end, it would save tax payers a ton. And it would create jobs and whole taxable industries that wouldn't have to rely on the state tax tit to survive.

Which, to be quite honest, as a Conservative, I think is the biggest selling point. Less money invested in a prison industry funded by the state, more money freed up to fight real crime. And a whole new taxable industry, and a whole ream of entrepreneurs who would be ready to take on new technologies and provide jobs and services--and who would provide their own competition as well.

Not just for California, but Maine would benefit greatly from the inclusion of a whole new industry that is currently under the radar, but has a HUGE investment and infrastructure base already.

clancifer: I see Big Pharma and the prison lobby joining together and going balls out against this.

With a large, silent cash infusion from the liquor/beer companies.

Three Crooked Squirrels: clancifer: I see Big Pharma and the prison lobby joining together and going balls out against this.

With a large, silent cash infusion from the liquor/beer companies.

Actually, I can see more than a few breweries being on board with the idea--hemp beer and working cross promotions.

DO IT

The Stealth Hippopotamus: Lionel Mandrake: Yeah, this needs to happen.

I have a feeling that "states' rights conservatives" will do everything they can to keep it from happening....and more than a few spineless dems will join them.

Put this States Rights Conservative in the positive camp. I think they should be able to do it. However I think they should not.

Why shouldn't they? Don't you want the government out of people's personal lives?

I hope they do it.

netweavr: evilelvis: come on you CA bastards I hate you for your idiotic firearm laws but please redeem yourself by getting this shiat done and rejecting all DEA raids come on come on baby go go go

In return for our consideration of this, you have to accept our Emissions laws.

Dude, air with less car smoke and more SMOKE smoke, that can only be good.

/A little high at the moment

Dear California,

DO EET.

Signed,
Non-Pot Smoker Who Is Against Government Abuse

hubiestubert: Three Crooked Squirrels: clancifer: I see Big Pharma and the prison lobby joining together and going balls out against this.

With a large, silent cash infusion from the liquor/beer companies.

Actually, I can see more than a few breweries being on board with the idea--hemp beer and working cross promotions.

This is totally rumor, but I heard Camel purchased the rights to the name "Camel Greens" a while back.

Is there a brand of cigarettes out called Camel Greens, or were they thinking about future markets? I think the tobacco industry would be VERY interested in pot being made legal.

Now if only I could sell my condo in michigan for as much as I owe, I could move to california.

/not a pothead
/hasn't gotten high in over a year
/still worth moving for one joint a month imo

A Dark Evil Omen: Non-Pot Smoker

In Seattle? How do you do it?

torch: Well they can save probably $1Billion a year on SWAT expenditures. That's a start.

Why are you anti-American and putting these SWAT officers out of work? you wanna feed their families?

//seems to be the argument du jour.
//DO IT! glad Obama's letting this be a state's rights issue re: DEA raids.

Great idea. Unfortunately there is no way in hell the asshats in the legislature will go for this.

IrateShadow: Doesn't matter; It's not like a state law is going to stop the DEA.

The DEA and its agents can die in a farking fire.

I wouldn't be surprised if Colorado was actually one of the next states to legalize it outright. It's already legal in the city of Denver for a 21 year old to possess up to an ounce without a med card. Of course you still face the state penalty of $100, but that doesn't even go on your record. Rocky Mountain Hiiiiiiiigh