Just Came To My Senses....Was It A Dream(Weed Legalization) (Los Angeles: attorney, houses)

[Everest209]

You know, i almost fell for this joke of people saying Marijuana may be legalized. I almost agreed with it for second, silly me. It sure did sound good, saving California's budget, cutting down on crime, basically ending the drug war. Sounds pretty good, too bad this would never happen, wait a second...........

I was thinking of this today, I initially thought it would be a good idea, and then i had a WTF moment. It's bad enough we have to deal with drunk drivers, now high drivers. WAIT wait everest, we already have high drivers. Save it, more accessible, more people smoking, more people on the road.

The only thing that stopped me and my friends from smoking everyday in high school(as opposed to every other day) was getting it for one, and for two the risk of getting caught buying or smoking it. WAIT everest, it will have a 21 year old age restriction. OHHH you mean like the alcohol limit, your right, no one over 21 buys alcohol for someone under 21.

This is called selling your soul to the devil. But Everest, alcohol is legal, and so are cigarettes. OHHH so if heroine was legal, than might as well legalize xtacy and cocaine. You know, because heroine is worse, so might as well. LOOK, 2 wrongs don't make something less wrong right. Confusing, I know, I confused myself. People are stupid enough, people argue weed is harmless, and it may be, but I do know...... it makes you stupid, especially when your on it. Is that what we really need, more dumb*** high people walking around?

There are probably more good points I could come up with, but for now, lets see how many people disagree, this should be fun.

[BRinSM]

I disagree, dump people don't bother me. and i also disagree with your cigarette/alcohol argument. the fact that cigs and booze are legal should set a precedent for a non-chemically addictive and less physically destructive substance. fwiw, i don't smoke weed nor do i enjoy getting high.

[ploopy]

i don't smoke, but its a great opportunity to tax the stuff.

people smoke weed. thats called reality. its practically legal now, as people smoke it everywhere. it could bring in lots of revenue and help fix the state. it is as they say, "californias largest cash crop." retail dispensary prices for the best weed is usually $6400 a pound and up. a pound.

and people buy a lot of weed. thats a lot of tax revenue.

i read in Los Angeles where they have a 200m dollar debt they have (or had) around 900 dispensaries open. most were not operating legally, but they were operating discretely and under a loophole in the law. everything secure, and for the most part on the "up and up." and they served only those with valid recommendations from doctors. IOW, they were doing business "by the book" except they weren't really supposed to be open

but instead of thinking "well we need money and all these shops are already open and we have no problems with them so lets tax them and solve our budget mess," the city attorney and mayor decide to try to eliminate all but 70, and impose stiff regulations on those which remain open. the others are agreeable to regulation, inspection, and whatever it takes to stay open. more security, a different way of doing business. but to the city, no business is good business if weed is included.

$6400 a pound of taxable weed from MMJ patients who wouldn't mind paying it if you just leave them and the shops alone. meanwhile the bars are open for anyone to walk into and get drunk on the cheapest, most toxic crap imaginable

your idea was a good idea. its still a good idea. but its hard to get anyone on board. why this is, idk? but one thing is for sure. california grows among the best weed in the world. we don't even need it from mexico. the mexican weed is usually of lower quality (brick weed) and they ship it all over. including here. but they operate in our fields, too. the difference here is we have and will always have the upper hand. they operate here now in the fields and "grow houses" but they aren't willing to burn out "mom and pop" growers or murder over growing and selling weed. except on a personal level within their own business. they know california grows weed. so much they can never take over or control it, but just get a piece of the pie. and so they are happy just to be part of the big, peaceful business

is it a dirty business? only because its illegal and means profits for bad people. otherwise, its grown wild in the fields

[NewToCA]

I don't think the revenue will be anywhere close to the projections, rather I think that many (if not most) folks will "self supply" the stuff.

Of course when folks are walking around (and driving around) high, we won't know if the stuff was legally purchased or not.

I see the revenue argument as just a ruse to get it legalized.

[ploopy]

its a ruse maybe to some who smoke. but why would they care? people i know and who i have known smoke it. they just do. they don't even think "this is illegal"

its all over. if you don't notice or don't smoke (i don't. or drink) you may not notice, but there it is

just the city of los angeles alone has enough customers to keep 900 shops open selling only to people with medical recommendations. thats a lot of revenue. i don't have to smoke or even like the idea to know people smoke weed, drug dealers control the market, and if the law were really smart they would have taken control of the weed in los angeles and taxed it, rather then drive people back to the local dealer down the street. that makes zero sense to my mind

[BRinSM]

Originally Posted by NewToCA

I don't think the revenue will be anywhere close to the projections, rather I think that many (if not most) folks will "self supply" the stuff.

how many people make their own booze? how many people grow their own tobacco and roll their own cigarettes? for that matter, how many people grow their own fruits/veggies/herbs etc? of course there are people out there who do this, but they are vastly in the minority. i have no doubt the same thing would happen with weed. most people are just too busy to facilitate an weed growing operation. not to mention, the equipment required is quite expensive and requires a rather large up front expense.

[NYSD1995]

The state will never figure out how to create a business and tax structure to remove the illegality (is that a word?) and destroy the insanse profits inherent in the growing and distribution of marijuana. Without that, legalization will essentially amount to amnesty for criminals and a financial gain which is a fraction of the real value of the essentially worthless product.

Why would anyone willing to break the law for all these years suddenly decide to go legit when it means their profits are reduced by 5000%? Answer: they wouldn't.

Until the grower, distributor, dealer are regulated and taxed, there can be no legalization, and one thing I have come to believe after 15+ years in California, our state government is not capable of conceiving such a plan.

[Fontucky]

Hmmmmm....

Temecula driver smokes pot, crashes into 14 vehicles and is arrested in Escondido

[Everest209]

Oh, another thing, you don't think dealers, growers aren't going to have something to say about taking away there biggest source of cash. And I don't mean lobbying for change, I mean violence.

[Everest209]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

Hmmmmm....

Temecula driver smokes pot, crashes into 14 vehicles and is arrested in Escondido

Harmless stuff huh.....