Marijuana Legalization and Taxation (schools, sales tax, professionals)

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Originally Posted by richmondpics

They seem pretty widely and freely available already... Treat marijuana like alcohol and let's move on to REAL issues. Legalize it...regulate it...tax it.

Except cannabis and alcohol are different beasts all together with different chemistry and properties, not to mention with different history.

[richmondpics]

They are both drugs ... of course they have chemical differences - they are different substances. I don't like pot... but it just doesn't make sense to me that we spend BILLIONS of dollars trying to stop its use (prohibition of alcohol was an absolute failure that sent crime rates up and did not curb its use... sound familiar?). Instead of bringing it into the light, regulating it in its own way, and taxing it, billions of dollars are funneled to criminal organizations here and abroad.

[VTHokieFan]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

You might want to retake civics and/or read more carefully. Governors don't pass bills. Legislatures do, then it's up to the governor to sign or veto.

You were referring to the Governor, LT Gov, Atty General grouping and you know it.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by VTHokieFan

You were referring to the Governor, LT Gov, Atty General grouping and you know it.

Nope, the general assembly. This would never reach the governor. The other two you mention don't even come into the process. Again, suggest you learn a little more about how government works. Don't feel bad, Eric Cantor could use the same education.

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Originally Posted by richmondpics

They are both drugs ... of course they have chemical differences - they are different substances. I don't like pot... but it just doesn't make sense to me that we spend BILLIONS of dollars trying to stop its use (prohibition of alcohol was an absolute failure that sent crime rates up and did not curb its use... sound familiar?). Instead of bringing it into the light, regulating it in its own way, and taxing it, billions of dollars are funneled to criminal organizations here and abroad.

The so-called War on Drugs is not all about cannabis.

Much as proponents of cannabis liberalization would like to compare alcohol prohibition with cannabis, the chemical qualities as well as politico-socio-economic conditions of the two substances are very different.

It would not be logical to use the case of the Prohibition as evidence for legalizing cannabis, cocaine, heroin, oxycodone and any other type of controlled substance. The cost of controlling such subtances is a factor, but not THE factor (would you cut spending on controlling child porn, just because it was expensive?).

In every policy decision, the salient factors are not just cost and harm, but also social and historical contexts as well as likely unintended consequences. Even the famously drug-tolerant Dutch are re-thinking their cannabis policy.

[richmondpics]

Look, I wouldn't call myself a "proponent," I'm just saying it doesn't make sense. It's not an issue I'm passionate about. Curious though, what are these chemical qualities and politico-socio-econonic (tri-fecta... wow!!!) conditions that make pot worse than alcohol?

Comparing child porn to a weed that grows in the ground is... odd?

And thanks to my undergraduate degree I'm well aware of the public policy decision making process... why keep speaking in generalities about contexts and qualities... what are the specifics? Just curious.

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Chemical qualities... Cannabis and alcohol have vastly different absorption rates, for example. Also, at least two studies have shown that cannabis use alters the brain's reaction to opiates. In lay terms, cannabis use has shown to have a measurable increase in "craving" for opiates by the human brain. I think this is where the government's claim of "gateway drug" originates.

Socially, not just legally, alcohol usage is far more tolerated and accepted. That is not going to change just because the law changes. Historically, alcohol has had a far longer, more widespread and accepted social use across the globe as a "social lubricant." Cannabis just doesn't have that kind of history and never did even before illegalization. Even in cultures that tolerated its use, it was a medicinal rather than a social or recreational plant.

Economically, alcohol already has a vast and entrenched production, distribution and retail network, which is highly regulated. Even if cannabis were legalized today, such a system would take years, perhaps decades to develop and establish. In the mean time, only illegal sources (by definition criminal enterprises) would be able to meet the increased demands. The claim by proponents of legalization that all crime and criminal enterprises associated with cannabis manufacture and distribution would disappear instantly once legalization is established is a pipe dream (forgive the metaphor ), as the Dutch experience demonstrates.

Politically, legalization faces huge obstacles. Although a large segment of the population has tried cannabis at one time or another, most oppose legalization and certainly most elected officially oppose it. More important, there is not strong grassroots movement to legalize that is putting a lot of pressure on the elected officials.

[Furmom]

Actually that is exactly what wellfare is, when everybody pays into something, and it is used for a benefit to help the well being of another- healthcare, food stamps, housing subsidies all fall under that. And the 42 BILLION mentioned above was for the whole US, not VA. But a great example is the Colorado model, people actually are getting State tax refunds from the funds they have received from recreational sales. And I'm not sure when Government wasn't ran by the Fat Cats, Big Whigs of the world and when they weren't being bought by corporations, please tell me the dates I would love to read about this time in history. And why is my fair share of taxes? If you want a fair share then you're asking for a flat tax rate. That way everybody plays the same % on their income.

[16 Acres]

I didn't read all the replies, but have to say, by the poll question posted, we can sure tell that it is biased.

No, it needs to stay illegal.

In my opinion, a person has 2 choices.

Live in Virginia and accept and respect it's laws,

or move to another state that already has the laws you prefer.

There are a few of them out there.

[16 Acres]

Originally Posted by VA All Day

Care to expound on why it needs to stay illegal, or why you seem to be implying that state laws should be completely static in perpetuity?

You and that other poster spewing nonsense sound like you'd be more comfortable living in Saudi Arabia.

Sorry, this is Virginia and has always been Virginia since the 1600's.

Pot is illegal here and needs to stay illegal. The reason why is numerous.

Maybe someday I will have the time to go into details. But by the sounds of it, you would not be easily convinced, lol.

Also, the state politicians here would never go for it. It's a lost cause at this time.