Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I lived there for 50 years, and the Baptist legalism takes a back seat to money, trust me on that one. There is not another state with government as corrupt as Oklahoma's, on all levels: State, county, and local.
But you are right, they will set up check points, even if all surrounding states have legalized. Yes, they will say it is to protect the citizens from a dangerous drug, but in reality it will be all about the money.
You will have to wonder though if the state will be able to justify the funds that it will take to set up the checkpoints. It will be an incredibly expensive undertaking in a state that's already bankrupt and can't even fund education. Also, I am sure there will be significant push back from the citizenry if that were to happen. Most young people, even in conservative OKC, support legalizing it. It's the older people in the rural areas and the Baptist churches that are die-hard prohibitionists.
I understand all that, but here is the fly in the soup, there is far more revenue to be had from the regular customer and the outlets that sell it and have to pay license fees and taxes and on and on. Every state had seizer laws, even those that now are legal had them, some made lots of money. Things is there is far more money to be made by legalization/taxation than enforcement, not to mention it frees up the legal system to deal with more serious crimes, not to mention jail space which is in short supply everywhere. I see your point and I can see it argued by some when the push starts, but in the end they will follow suit because more and more people will demand it (especially if states right next door are legal) but also for the simple economics of the situation. Watch and see.
But it isn't about total revenues. If MJ is legalized, yes, the state and local governments benefit as a whole on the tax front, but tax collection isn't what is driving things.
I have already spelled out how law enforcement benefits directly from MJ busts, and those revenues far exceed what little piece of the pie their specific agency would receive if it were regulated and taxed. So law enforcement is dead set against it.
But what is really driving the bus is corruption. Big Pharma, for-profit prisons, even the tobacco and alcohol industries have all been fighting legalization, with Oklahoma lawmakers all too eager to take all the "perks" these industries care to dish out, as long as they do their damnedest to make sure MJ stays illegal and demonized. New ways of replacing all this corrupt income will have to be found before they will finally legalize, regardless of state budget shortfalls.
It us illegal in the vast majority of countries, so humans must share some judgement.
That's another common misconception.
In fact, if you were to research it, you would find that there is a binding USA-driven treaty that dictates how they must treat drugs, including marijuana. Any country that breaks the treaty would have to suffer the consequences of making the US mad (like sanctions).
But many (most?) other countries are way ahead of us when it comes to cannabis research. They already know that keeping cannabis as a Schedule I drug borders on insanity.
So they have gotten away with treating cannabis in a more sane fashion by implementing "zero enforcement". Many countries continue to keep it slightly illegal solely because of US pressure, not because the plant represents any type of threat to their society.
Quote:
Cannabis remains a controlled substance in the Netherlands and both possession and production for personal use are still misdemeanors, punishable by fines. Coffeeshops are also technically illegal but are flourishing nonetheless. However, a policy of non-enforcement has led to a situation where reliance upon non-enforcement has become common, and because of this the courts have ruled against the government when individual cases were prosecuted.
I remember taking a trip to Amsterdam back in the early 1990's. All the coffee shops had trees, leaves, and other greenery painted on their big plate-glass windows, but not marijuana leaves. I was told that the President of the USA visited a few years prior, and because of US pressure all the coffee shops had to change their window decor from marijuana leaves to something else.
It's a plant. Only stupid people would try to make a naturally growing weed illegal. There are a lot of stupid people in this country. What's next? Basil? Oregano?
It's a plant. Only stupid people would try to make a naturally growing weed illegal. There are a lot of stupid people in this country. What's next? Basil? Oregano?
They tried to make Kratom next. But, believe it or not, too much public pressure made the DEA back off! This is a really well written article, people should take the time to read it. It's an excellent window into the DEA's mindset.
It isn't stupidity driving this stuff. They know exactly what they are doing, because they know exactly the "reward" that is waiting for them afterwards.
Quote:
At the end of this month, kratom will be illegal throughout the United States thanks to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which this week announced that a ban is necessary “to avoid an imminent hazard to public safety.” The way the DEA reached that conclusion provides an illuminating window on the prohibitionist mindset, which dresses pharmacological phobias in the garb of science.
In fact, if you were to research it, you would find that there is a binding USA-driven treaty that dictates how they must treat drugs, including marijuana. Any country that breaks the treaty would have to suffer the consequences of making the US mad (like sanctions).
Canada is on track to legalize marijuana by July of next year.
Location: planet octupulous is nearing earths atmosphere
13,621 posts, read 12,731,507 times
Reputation: 20050
It's been a big scam since the enactment of prohibition in 1937, Yep 78 years of bs propaganda perpetuated by assslinger and the pharmaceutical companies, big alcohol, and companies like Dupont. Big pharma doesn't want free medicine that can be grown by anyone and in just about any place in the world with little effort, Big alcohol doesn't want it to compete with their liquid poison in a bottle, Dupont and other synthetic fiber companies don't want it because it's the best known natural fiber in the world and would put a huge dent in their bottom line. It all comes down to money.. None of the above big corporations could patent it and control it, That's the big reason why they were and are so against it!! If they could have patented it there would have been literally thousands of products by now derived from marijuana with all the big corporations listed above and a lot more.. It's a good thing for the internet!!! it's hard to bull crap the populous with lame azz comical bs propaganda now days!!! If not for the net weed would be 30 years behind what it is now!!! yep it's all because of the net that weed will be legal in only a few short years.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Canada is on track to legalize marijuana by July of next year.
