Solution to California's budget crisis: Legalize marijuana. (Sacramento: sales, crimes)

[Lafferty Daniel]

Originally Posted by happ

There must be something in the soil\ climate that marijuana grows so well in California. I understand some of the best quality marijuana is grown in Northern California, esp the coastal areas between Eureka & Santa Rosa. Just like all the vineyards up in the Napa & Sonoma valleys produce high quality grapes. They even have "smoke-ins" on the beach each year that attracts hundreds of people in Arcada. The police are there only to make sure the stoner's don't walk into eco-sensitive native plants

What I don't understand is where all the marijuana is grown for all the dispensaries across the state.

I think the majority comes from Mendocino and Humbolt Counties. There are also a lot of growers in the Bay area, and even the San Fernando Valley.

[Lafferty Daniel]

Originally Posted by MisterDuke

I suppose it would generate revenue if it was legal to sell packaged marijuana cigarettes the same way that tobacco is sold. But if it was highly taxed, wouldn't people just grow their own to save money? If most people can run down to the nursery at Home Depot to pick up seedlings, would there be much demand to buy commercially packaged products?

I'm not sure if the commercially packaging would replace the current dispensary set up.

[58robbo]

Originally Posted by killer2021

Legalize marijuana, sell it at any place that sells cigarettes and charge similar taxes as cigarettes.

Grow the marijuana in California (already California's largest cash crop, 2nd being grapes) which will help stimulate local rural farming communities and create jobs in those regions. It will also provide extra revenue for local stores. People will smoke marijuana, regardless if it is legal or not. As a society we need to make the right choices as to where these people get their drugs. Would you rather have those marijuana smokers buying from the local street thugs or from CVS, Rite-Aid etc.?

The vast majority of marijuana comes from foreign countries which is grown by drug lords which finance terrorism and violence.

It is time we say NO to violence and terrorism and yes to job creation and local economic growth!

this is a disaster for liberty. california sees business being done and she wants her share! correction, she wants the monopoly! does anyone have any idea what kind of orwellian legislation and enforcement are going to be imposed to make sure you buy from the state.

i find it perverse that the state only consents to your use if it can bend you over and rape you first. it may look like a step in the right direction but be careful what you wish for!

[58robbo]

Originally Posted by JustJulia

No, it wouldn't. Even if marijuana were legalized, it would still be illegal for kids to buy it, like alcohol or cigarettes. The only pro-legalization people who support allowing kids to buy pot are pothead kids.

err.... wrong! i'm pro legalisation of everything and i'm not a pothead kid! our obsession with underage drinking is the key reason we have such a big problem with it!

if you go to europe, drinking is something with is socially acceptable. being a drunk nuisance to society is something which is not. in the states, uk and in my experience all the other english nations, the opposite is true.

europeans don't hide their booze away from their kids or impose ridiculous limits. drinking is left in the capable hands of the parents. while in life you will always get exceptions to the rule, unhindered parents are pretty good at deciding what is and isn't good for their kids.

yet we will continue to glamorize drunken behaviour and we're about to do the same thing with weed. evidently you don't understand the attraction of forbidden fruit

[PKRWUD]

It's time that we treat adults like adults.

Originally Posted by 58robbo

this is a disaster for liberty. california sees business being done and she wants her share! correction, she wants the monopoly! does anyone have any idea what kind of orwellian legislation and enforcement are going to be imposed to make sure you buy from the state.

i find it perverse that the state only consents to your use if it can bend you over and rape you first. it may look like a step in the right direction but be careful what you wish for!

Actually, it's projected to bring the price down for Joe Stoner. The only people that will suffer are those that make a living growing and/or selling pot now.

[58robbo]

Originally Posted by esmith143

We can't unilaterally legalize pot in California. Drug cartels will switch from smuggling pot here from Tijuana (hard) to smuggling pot from here to 47 other states (easy).

if you think the current drug war uses orwellian measures just contemplate, if you will, the IRS and the DEA joining forces! just the prospect has me losing sleep

[58robbo]

Originally Posted by tande1n5

They said "From Here." Just because CA legalizes it doesn't mean the rest of the US would, and they're trying to point out the nightmare that it would be for other states now that all you have to do is cross a simple state line. Bringing pot into CA from TJ is a hard thing to do in comparison from hypothetically simply driving to another state with your stash to sell.

i'm not in favor of california regulating pot but if they did or just outright legalised it (which is what i think they should do), the problem of pot in other states would be the other states own problem. if the taxpayers there wanted to continue to fund incarceration and policing of non violent offenders that would be their own problem!

[58robbo]

Originally Posted by bhcompy

They've already tried removing alcohol and it resulted in a very bad situation in the US. Some things you just can't get rid of after they've been legalized and taken hold. Two wrongs don't make a right.

and drug prohibition hasn't resulted in a bad situation in the US? nearly a million arrests a year while murderers, rapists, kiddie porn dealers, robbers, burglars, muggers take advantage of a legal system clogged up with pot offenders. not to mention shortened prison time for these people because prisons are overcrowded with pot prisoners! then there is the cost of policing it. perhaps you haven't noticed how the drug war has led to surge in violent gangs. not to mention the infringement of civil liberties used in the enforcement of prohibition! the worst thing in my opinion is that it gives the state the mandate to outlaw anything which it deems dangerous. better keep an eye on your 1st and 2nd ammendment because they're next!

[58robbo]

Originally Posted by PKRWUD

It's time that we treat adults like adults.




Actually, it's projected to bring the price down for Joe Stoner. The only people that will suffer are those that make a living growing and/or selling pot now.

that's irrelevant. maybe some people don't want to buy from the state at the price they set (which will be high if amsterdam is anything to go by). maybe they'll just grow their own. it's so easy to do maybe loads of people will then start to grow their own. the problem with this is that the state needs it's cash and they will crack down heavily on those with their own plants

[PKRWUD]

Originally Posted by 58robbo

that's irrelevant. maybe some people don't want to buy from the state at the price they set (which will be high if amsterdam is anything to go by). maybe they'll just grow their own. it's so easy to do maybe loads of people will then start to grow their own. the problem with this is that the state needs it's cash and they will crack down heavily on those with their own plants

Actually, that's not how it's going to work. The government won't be the ones selling it, and no one will be prohibited from growing their own. Assembly Bill 390 would charge cannabis wholesalers $5,000 initially and $2,500 annually for the right to distribute weed.

Retail outlets would pay fees of $50 per ounce of cannabis to generate revenue for drug education programs statewide.

The bill would prohibit cannabis near schools. It also would ban smoking it in public places or growing it in public view.

You don't have to buy it from anyone if you'd rather grow your own. but I suspect the numbers of people that did that would be low because it would be much easier to just stop at the store on your way home.