Should Arizona legalize marijuana in 2016? (taxes, costs, legal)

[GeneR]

Originally Posted by coolbeans2000

Although it would be a obvious step in the right direction, it's not logical to legalize mere possession and keep distribution illegal. Can you think of a another product that should be legal to own but simultaneously be illegal to sell?

And what is the so called myth you speak of?

Are you saying our prisons aren't over crowded with people for drug related charges? Over 50 percent of inmates are incarcerated for drug related charges (the majority being for marijuana). The main reason we have the largest prison population in the world is largely due to our drug laws.

Yes, less than 1% of prison inmates are in jail for simple possession. But city and county jails have plenty of them. Almost 26% of the population.

Remember 88% of drug arrests are for possession alone. That wastes an enormous amount of time and resources to process those people through the courts system. There is also the likely loss of a productive member of society if the person loses their job due to the arrest (70% of illicit drug users are employed and 80% are not addicts). Then there is the police officer who we are paying to patrol the streets and keep us safe but is now needlessly tied up spending hours doing paperwork and processing a person for smoking or selling pot.

Finally there is the big question: Did putting that person in jail for whatever time frame (or even just arresting them) stop that person from using drugs again? Usually never, so what did it accomplish except squander our tax dollars?




Just How Much The War On Drugs Impacts Our Overcrowded Prisons, In One Chart

http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/sdatji02.pdf

http://www.justicepolicy.org/images/...ugTx_AC-PS.pdf

https://ncadd.org/learn-about-drugs/workplace

Thank you for referencing these sources which indicate that many felons are also addicted to drugs. Your sources also refer to the cost to society of drug abuse. I believe this is also evidence that making drugs more available will not relieve a problem but in fact might make it worse.

[TKO]

Originally Posted by GeneR

Thank you for referencing these sources which indicate that many felons are also addicted to drugs. Your sources also refer to the cost to society of drug abuse. I believe this is also evidence that making drugs more available will not relieve a problem but in fact might make it worse.

Pot won't be more available. That's not possible unless you start selling it at 7-11, you know, like booze. It's ridiculously easy to find even though it's illegal. It'll just be regulated and sourced from Americans not the foreign Cartels.

Simplistic, self righteous views are not helpful, just self satisfying.

$0.02

[gbpakrfan]

Originally Posted by TKO

Pot won't be more available. That's not possible unless you start selling it at 7-11, you know, like booze. It's ridiculously easy to find even though it's illegal.

Hmmmm...the same goes for prostitution. Maybe that should be legalized, too..."Can I get a girl to go with my Slurpee?"

[bgray9]

Developmental/brain issues anyone?

http://www.apa.org/news/press/releas...marijuana.aspx

[TKO]

Use any of these?



http://www.theatlantic.com/features/...brains/284466/

[GeneR]

Originally Posted by bgray9

Developmental/brain issues anyone?

http://www.apa.org/news/press/releas...marijuana.aspx

There we go again, confusing the issue with facts!

[GeneR]

Originally Posted by gbpakrfan

Hmmmm...the same goes for prostitution. Maybe that should be legalized, too..."Can I get a girl to go with my Slurpee?"

Only if she's stoned

[bgray9]

Originally Posted by GeneR

There we go again, confusing the issue with facts!

Yah, I know. My bad.

[TKO]

No one. Absolutely no one is suggesting it's good for teens or that it should be made available to them. Never mind that it's widely available on any high school campus anywhere in the country in the current black market.


It's not "good" for anyone. But neither are many of the other products we use and are exposed to on a daily basis. Some of which are much, much worse.

Besides it's undeniable that people are going to use it regardless so why not get at least a modicum of control?

How do you deal with facts that don't support your position?

[bgray9]

Originally Posted by TKO

No one. Absolutely no one is suggesting it's good for teens or that it should be made available to them. Never mind that it's widely available on any high school campus anywhere in the country in the current black market.


It's not "good" for anyone. But neither are many of the other products we use and are exposed to on a daily basis. Some of which are much, much worse.

Besides it's undeniable that people are going to use it regardless so why not get at least a modicum of control?

How do you deal with facts that don't support your position?

It's not just teens that it's bad for brainwise and developmentally. Though those in their 20s and younger are the hardest hit from what I've read.

Anytime someone says, "well, a bunch of other stuff is also bad for us", you know they don't have much to respond with. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and not assume your advocating the reintroduction of DDT.

There is such a thing as not wanting a society to endorse things it shouldn't endorse. Some facts are uncomfortable and awkward, but they still are facts.

It's like when you're raising children and you don't want the mixed message sent on something like this that is now being sent and will become even more mixed in the future the way this is going.