I read in the paper today that Alaska has a pot legalization proposition on the ballad for people over 18. Also it would allow amnesty to anyone in jail for weed possession.
This is a trip will this law make Alaska like Amsterdam? Will people be able to go into the grocery store and buy an once of Columbian Gold with a 10% off coupon in the produce department? Will the federal gov’t denounce this law of the state? Is driving stoned going to be illegal or legal there and how are they going to enforce that?
What are the particulars on this law? What is the “staight dope” inquiring minds(mainly mine) want to know?
Or perhaps the fact that the chances of this passing are so astronomically minute that it’s not worth debating over.
Go check out the myriad of other drug-related threads on the board if you want to get into the effects of such a law being passed. (Oh, no, wait - that would require you to read something other than your own opinion or personal experiences. Can’t be doing that, now, can we? :rolleyes: )
Alaska had decriminalized marijuana before, then sometime in the late 90s or early 90s (I can’t recall when) they voted to have more typical marijuana laws. The voter turnout was very high, and it just barely passed, so there are a lot of people in Alaska who are for decriminalization. I wouldn’t be so doubtful.
Thanks for your “non” smart alec answer. I too have heard that Alaska is very open to this law. I am curious to see how it turns out.
Esprix,
Just to let ya know I have read many of those threads you mentioned. But the ones I have seen never really get to the details of how the law would work.
What do you mean, would it be legal to drive stoned? Were you stoned when you wrote that?
Of course it would not be legal to drive stined. I believe that would fall under the DUI (driving under the influence) laws. Howq ouwld they enforce it? How about the same way they enforce DUI now?
As for Alaska becomming like Amsterdam, I have to ask…have you ever been to Amsterdam? Buying an ounce of Columbian Gold (snicker) in the grocery store indeed!
The Ballad of Pot Legalization to the tune of The Beverly Hillbillies
Well, here’s a little story 'bout
a northern state
Had a proposition that
made Bill salivate.
Thought they’d make the pot laws more informal,
and answer the prayers of the people in NORML
Acapulco Gold…
Thailand Tea…
Well the first thing you know
old Tommy Chong
moves up there with
a three foot bong
I read of a study in a college text on drugs that showed that 47% of people drove better on a driving test after consuming moderate amounts of marijuana, and only 14% scored worse - it would be pretty unfair to treat marijuana the same as alcohol when it came to DUI laws. Yes, a minority does drive worse on pot, but that would probably be the people who drove recklessly anyway, best to catch them on reckless driving, speeding, or other moving violation charges rather than enforce DUI laws in relation to marijuana.
LOL pretty funny Chiefwahoo. Did you ever see the episode where granny was busted for saying this to some cops, “I was fixing to smoke some crawdads but first I need a little pot” Too funny!
And yes, Lucky I think you are stoned. Or you had the same 5th grade english teacher that passed me.
Oh and a word of advice watch out for the English Teacher better known as Esprix(he is sworn to uphold good grammer pratices everywhere)
a)If not, why do you think pot should be illegal when alcohol is legal?
Should more taxpayer dollars should go towards:
a) keeping violent criminals off the street
or
b) keeping stoned hippies eating donuts off the street?
Just so this isn’t one-sided, I’ll tell you my opinion. I say that it doesn’t sound all that crazy to me, but then I’m fairly liberal. I’ve been to Amsterdam and was mildly amused, but I wouldn’t want to live there. Although I support a person’s right to do with their own body what they wish so long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else, it was still very creepy to walk down a street where the women are all standing behind glass like products in the refrigerated case at the grocery store. That said, pot wasn’t in the grocery store, only in coffee houses, and that’s also where you were supposed to smoke it.
Personally, I have no problem giving amnesty for those in jail for pot posession. That’s a waste of my money. I’d rather pay to shelter the homeless or something than to jail some random pothead. Why not legalize it and tax the hell out of it? Then maybe we could afford to pay teachers better salaries.
[aside] I wanted to post in your “Life” thread but I have only played the “old” version so I have no tips for you. I think it’s great you’re playing board games with your family. You might like to try Scrabble and Pictionary, depending on the age of your children.[/aside]
This is a tough one for many reasons. First for me the Bible really never speaks against it but it also said not to be drunk with wine. Is being high the same thing as being drunk? I don’t know how God would look at that. I have given it some thought. When I use to smoke it I thought about God alot so I don’t know.
Secondly you can have a drink or two without being drunk but if you didn’t get high from smoking pot, you would feel like you got ripped off into buying dirt weed.
Obviously unless I am a dummy I agree with “a”. And btw I don’t think there should be jail time in the first place I think more like a ticket or something.
Funny, I am pretty conservative and it doesn’t sound all that crazy to me either. Obviously the war on drugs is not working. I would rather them(govt)spend more time and money on prosecuting harder drug dealers instead of pot users.
See this is another problem until it was legalized how would we know how our society would be. If it didn’t work, it would be hard to go back to making it illegal(look at prohibition)
Is that what the current law change in Alaska proposes too?
Me too. Without a doubt a better use of resources.
Thanks but like I said it did cause a couple of fights but hey a family that fights together stays together. Maybe pictionary would be better.
As (seemingly) the only Alaskan in the audience, here the exact text of ballot measure #5 (the legalization of marijuana)
"BALLOT MEASURE NO. 5
Allowing Uses of Hemp, Including Marijuana
This bill would do away with civil and criminal penalties for persons 18 years or older who use marijuana, or other hemp products. These products include hemp used for paper, fiber, food, fuel, medicine, or personal use in private. Marijuana would be regulated like an alcoholic beverage. Doctors could prescribe marijuana. The bill allows for laws limiting marijuana use in some cases to protect public safety. It grants amnesty to persons convicted in the past of marijuana crimes. The bill creates an advisory group to study restitution for those persons.
Should this initiative become law?"
As is obvious, this leaves many questions unanswered as to how this would be enforced and regulated.
In addition, this measure doesn’t have much of a chance of passing, as 60% of Alaskans are against it at the moment.
Anyway, I would rather the government spend more time and money on prosecuting violent criminals and those whose crimes affect others rather than pot and (perhaps) other drug users. I can’t see legalizing possession and use and making sale illegal. Making pot sale legal will take power AWAY from drug dealers, wouldn’t it? It’d be just another item in the grocery store or coffee house or wherever.
I find it interesting that only 60% oppose the measure, honestly. I suspect that if restitution was not mentioned that number might be far lower. 35% favor it as it stands–IMHO that’s very impressive.
