legalized cannabis in PA

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by Muinteoir

Democracy will always be messy, but I will always favor movements that make our processes more democratic. I will always favor putting power in the hands of the people, as opposed to power in the hands of the few, of the 'elite.'

Agree completely.

Yes, there should be reasonable thresholds to make sure ballot initiatives aren't abused (especially ones that attempt to take away existing rights). That being said, it's fair to say state legislatures abuse the lawmaking process literally all the time with secretive provisions and sneaky maneuvers to get things passed before the public understands what they're doing. As a general rule, the more direct democracy, the better.

As for this thread, it's beyond ridiculous and embarrassing that PA is now surrounded by states (including more conservative Ohio) with higher minimum wages and legal recreational marijuana.

Even more mind-boggling and absurd that the PA legislature is amongst the few full-time legislative bodies and amongst the highest paid in the US with so little progress to show for it. The people of PA must demand more action and accountability to the will of the public.

[gmagoo]

Originally Posted by NewtownBucks

The process to get a medical card is so easy, it's like "pseudo-recreational" in PA. You just have to spend money on an annual medical license (more $$$ for the state...) and get a 15 minute online "checkup" to make sure you still have whatever ailment you used to get the card in the first place. The acceptable reasons to get a card include things like chronic pain and anxiety, which almost everyone has to some degree.

A new revenue source for the state is a good thing.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by Jessie Mitchell

I came from a state with citizen initiatives and, wow, can it get messy and deceptive and makes voting a challenge because of the way the various interests title, frame, and sell their proposed laws or changes to laws. Now, some years away from all that, I do really miss it. When you have a gerrymandered state legislature it is really the only way to put some leverage directly back in the hands of voters. If you have a gerrymandered legislature that is always going to lean right in a state where, statewide, there's a slight lean left, the legislature does not accurately reflect the will of the voters and has no interest in doing so. But of course, the right isn't all in on this democratic experiment anyway.

[cue someone chiming in with the "representative republic" whitewash]

We may be a republic, but the republic is a democratic one. There is such a thing as a non-democratic republic. The Soviet Union was one, even if the ruling elite painted a democratic gloss on its lowest level.

We now have a group in this country that is actively working to make our republic a non-democratic one. It must be opposed. Unfortunately, many leaders of the party containing this group are afraid that if they do not indulge it, they will lose power, and that's the last thing they want to have happen.

I grew up in a state that had initiative and referendum as well; I remember my 7th-grade history teacher singing the praises of these features of Missouri state government when we studied the state constitution. Pennsylvania would do well to adopt them as well. Unfortunately, this would require amending the state constitution. And I've already explained how that happens.

Originally Posted by Muinteoir

I completely agree, however many more people oppose ranked choice voting than you'd imagine. Some chalk up their opposition to "RCV is too hard for people to understand," others think it's another ploy to "steal elections," and some will admit themselves they are just afraid of change. Regardless, I think younger people tend to have a resoundingly favorable view of RCV, so perhaps I'll see change in my lifetime.

I also lived in a city with a council-manager municipal government that elected its city council by ranked-choice voting: Cambridge, Mass. Once you explained how it works, it wasn't difficult for people to vote. The only difference was that where you might see a check mark in a box on campaign materials, instead you saw a box with a number 1 in it. Of course, we would have to learn to live without instant gratification on Election Night, for it takes several rounds of tabulating votes until a candidate reaches the threshold for election (50% + 1 of the total votes cast, or 1/x + 1 of the total votes cast in an election where x seats are filled at the same time, as was the case for Cambridge's nine-member, all-at-large city council).

[quiet life]

Ok, Shapiro seems to be trying to put the pressure on the state legislature. The question is whether they are listening. Quite ambitious to want legalized cannabis by January 2025.

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/penn...-friggin-ohio/

[pman]

do it

[Jay_F]

Well, until the state that has nearly a 70% "we want legal recreational cannabis" gets the payoffs, bribes and other money right, just buy good quality THCa flower. It's classified as hemp due to its less than .3% THC D9 content because it is harvested, tested and packaged before it gets 'hot'. Upon combustion / adequate heat the THCa converts to THC D9 and it's up, up and away. 'Marijuana' is / can be the same thing, but falls under a different set of laws and criteria.

THCa flower is much cheaper than a lot of 'legal' dispensaries, and no need for a cannabis card that would exempt you from firearm purchases or get you arrested by virtue of federal law. When I say cheaper, how about $34 ($27 on sale all of the time) for a 1/4 oz / 7 grams of 32% nice sized buds. No B.S. added taxes other than sales tax. Saw one site that had $50 zips of small buds... $1.78 / gram; yes please. The state already has state stores so this is where cannabis should be sold easy peasy... Not that it should be taxed or regulated anymore than tomatoes.

May not be 'the best' I ever had, but it is fully legal, inexpensive and so easy to order shipped to your mailbox. And for folks who may not know, you do not have to smoke cannabis; There are many dry flower vaporizers that are fantastic without smoke and making edible cannabis cookies, oils, drinks, gummies is so easy and very effective as well. Any questions about what I wrote or have other questions about hemp or cannabis please drop me a PM / DM. Thanks.

[thedirtypirate]

I mean the big thing is that the University of Pennsylvania did a study, and realized that people drove over the state lines to NJ/MD/etc and spent so much money it would have generated $250,000,000 in new tax revenue each year.