Maine might become the first state in the East to legalize marijuana (lawyer, school) - (ME) - Page 10 - City-Data Forum

mainebrokerman · 10-20-2016, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UpTheCreek

Being from California and having misspent my youth and well into my adult years smoking "the bud", and a lot of it, I feel legalizing it would make it more available to kids and young adults. They, in turn, can waste away and turn their minds into mush, thereby squandering away the most important parts of their lives and walking around "stupid", just like I did.

25 years ago, there is no way in the world I would've voted NO to legalize marijuana. I would've crawled over broken glass to vote YES! The libertarian in me is still putting up a fight, too! But after finally growing up, having a family and realizing, with great regret, what I COULD HAVE made out of my life without drugs and alcohol, I vote NO, emphatically.

For those adults that smoke pot responsibly, I'm sorry but too bad. It's not worth it to allow you to do so legally when it leaves a trail of young people behind that will have better lives without it, whether they know it now or not. If that makes me "not cool", so be it.

ding ding ding ,,,,,,

we have a winner of best response to this thread!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

from a former stoner....not an observer or dreamer

kevin5098 · 10-20-2016, 03:29 PM

When this thread started I was ready to vote Yes on 1. I have been persuaded by several arguments presented here to change my vote to No.

Zymer · 10-20-2016, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UpTheCreek

...I feel legalizing it would make it more available to kids and young adults...

Don't be naive. Anyone who wants it is already getting it, just as they have been since *I* was a kid (and before). All we are doing is removing the criminal penalties for those over the age of consent.

It will still not be legal for kids to have it, just as it is not legal for them to have cigarettes and booze...but they will still get it and the others, just as they always have. *Nothing* is going to change that.

WestGuest · 10-20-2016, 07:15 PM

In my youth I was an elected District Attorney in conservative Texas. Each DA's office has a limited amount of funds and I would have to decide case by case whether to fully pursue marijuana or violent crimes. It was an easy decision as violent offenders often repeat.

Some say well the (pot offenders) usually get probation -- but then probation officers who sometimes have huge caseloads have to decide -- do I want to make sure that pot smoker is in his home by 10Pm or the sex prowler.

I've followed this in Colorado. A Denver Post poll asked "Would you vote to legalize all over again?" The answer was a resounded YES. Another study determined young people were no more likely to use after it became legal. Perhaps the thrill of breaking the law is gone.

Colorado has had an economic boom. More money in the treasury, more visitors. I asked a pot shop if they had lots of out of state customers. They took me to a room with a pin map-- umm yes -mostly New Mexico but lots from Cal and Texas too. Maine would gain from other states nearby.

620,000 Americans were arrested in 2015--thats good job new for attorneys, police, probation officers, chemists, their staff but it sucks for the rest of us.

Jellybean50 · 10-20-2016, 07:23 PM

I never thought that "former stoners" could be worse than "former smokers" (of cigarettes). But man was i wrong.

Jellybean50 · 10-20-2016, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zymer

Don't be naive. Anyone who wants it is already getting it, just as they have been since *I* was a kid (and before). All we are doing is removing the criminal penalties for those over the age of consent.

It will still not be legal for kids to have it, just as it is not legal for them to have cigarettes and booze...but they will still get it and the others, just as they always have. *Nothing* is going to change that.

Exactly. NO MORE (amount of) kids are going to smoke pot because it's legal. What age do most "kids" start experimenting with liquor? 21? Not quite... more like the early teens. And it's NOT legal then.

UpTheCreek · 10-20-2016, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zymer

Don't be naive. Anyone who wants it is already getting it, just as they have been since *I* was a kid (and before). All we are doing is removing the criminal penalties for those over the age of consent.

It will still not be legal for kids to have it, just as it is not legal for them to have cigarettes and booze...but they will still get it and the others, just as they always have. *Nothing* is going to change that.

Nothing naive about it. I fully realize kids will get it, just as I did and still can. The case you're making is nothing short of pretzel logic.

Put down the bong for a day, come back and try again.

<<< Don't get twisted up, I'm just kidding there, just a little humor.

UpTheCreek · 10-20-2016, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jellybean50

Exactly. NO MORE (amount of) kids are going to smoke pot because it's legal. What age do most "kids" start experimenting with liquor? 21? Not quite... more like the early teens. And it's NOT legal then.

Okay, Jellybean from NJ. You certainly have a right to your opinion just like me, but it's not fact. I'll count on my life experience to make my decision when I vote. You are free to do the same, of course. I might even be wrong about it and it could be that legalization will LESSEN the amount of young people smoking pot. I do NOT believe that to be the case though.

By the way, are you moving to Maine or Colorado or wherever else some ares trying to pass legalization laws? Is it coming in NJ too? I'm just curious about your interest in the voting in Maine.

UpTheCreek · 10-20-2016, 07:52 PM

By the way ( I know, again!), I would just like to state for the record that I have an older sister that's almost 65 yrs. old. She lives in California, was a hippy back in the day (still is I guess) and smokes pot with great regularity. As a matter of fact, she has a medical marijuana ID card and grows a lot of plants. She'd be first in line to vote yes on such a law. She's also a loser, never married, no children and hasn't done a damn thing with her life. She got so fat that she had to have one of those operations, now she looks like all drawn out, flabby skin and the California sun hasn't done her any favors either.

As a matter of fact, I'm 52 now and not one in my group of stoner friends from back in the day have achieved much. At least a few of their siblings sure have, but they weren't out smoking pot well into their 20's either. I used to like to come home after a hard day's labor, relax after dinner and smoke a bit "just to take the edge off". That's cool if that's what you want to do, I think nothing less of a person wanting to do that. But thinking back, there were so many other productive things I could've been doing besides vegging out in front of the tv stoned.

Say what you will, I think it's a dead-end street. I'm off my soapbox for good on this subject!

WestGuest · 10-20-2016, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UpTheCreek

Nothing naive about it. I fully realize kids will get it, just as I did and still can. The case you're making is nothing short of pretzel logic.

Put down the bong for a day, come back and try again.

<<< Don't get twisted up, I'm just kidding there, just a little humor.

Up the creek why not get more educated. I published the Denver Post study showing that since legalization use is NOT up among youth. Why not at least LOOK at it--instead of repeating the same thing again and again like a dumb animal?