I have not seen a marijuana thread in a while, they tend to be too one-sided on this board anyway. My question is…
Now that Canada is relaxing it’s possession laws, (very much so in Ontario) will logic prevaill and the dominoes begin to fall? Or will this only create a backlash here in the states and strengthen the resolve of the drug warriors in our country?
As long as the Republicans remain in power it will not happen in the USA.
Yes, I know various states may attempt to make changes in their respective state drug laws, but Ashcroft will have none of that.
What prominent Democrats have called for the legalization of marijuana? AFAIK, the highest-ranking public official who has is Gary Johnson, Republican then-governor of New Mexico.
There’s not a chance in hell the politicos are going to make a common sense choice about marijuana. Half the country is disillusioned about the effects and stigma of marijuana (ala reefer madness) and the other half uses marijuana at least semi-regularly. The drug war makes too much money for too many people, there’s no way the US would ever consider doing what Canada did, more over, their actions will likely further divide the two countries.
The US has a damn long way to go on this issue…
Gatewood Galbraith, where are you?
Decrim was defeated here in Nevada, by a very slim margin. I hope that if the issue comes up for a referendum vote again, the pro-decrim forces will actually come forth with a decent public education campaign about the general harmlessness of Mary Jane.
I think that after a couple of years of observing
Canada and seeing that their civilization doesn’t collapse with the legalization of marijuana, many Americans, particularly the younger ones, will begin to see the light.
buttonjockeys got it right, as long as the right people are making cash of the persecution of innocents in the name of enforcing puritannical morality on a nation that doesn’t want it, the drug war will continue.
I hate to burst your bubble, but Ashcroft executes the laws(executive Branch), he doesn’t make the laws. Congress can relax drug laws whenever they think it will fly with their constituents. The GOP controlls both Houses now, but I don’t remember drug laws being relxed when the Dems were in charge. Perhaps you can refresh my memory.
They will legalize it in the US exactly 5.2 minutes after I quit smoking it.
John Mace,
So do you feel that Ashcroft and others in the Executive Branch don’t influence laws.
My general feeling is that while both parties must pander to their constituents, Dems tend to be more pragmatic while GOP tends to bow to religious right. It will be a long time before it happens under control of either party, but if it ever does, it will be spearheaded by a Dem.
I also can see no likelihood of the US government voluntarily taking back the crime against humanity that has been cannabis prohibition.
The most likely hope of change is that other countries altering their drug laws in a more liberal fashion will incite the US to try and ever increase its influence over this area of policy in other countries, prompting a backlash from those countries, leading to fuller decriminalisation/legalisation in those countries and the creation of a fair debate in American politics about the subject.
They wont do it unless pushed, there’s too much at stake.
We live in a country that is in the middle of a tobacco witch-hunt and you wonder if recreational marijuana will ever be legal?
Considering that tobaccco is extremely addictive and deadly there is a certain irony and justice to the witch hunt relative to the pot situation.
I have often wondered what would happen for our farmers if pot was legal. Acres and acres of green goodness?
Indeed Azael, but many would argue that tobacco is something we want to prevent people from using whereas cannabis is largely harmless.
http://www.jackherer.com/comparison.html
Of course I’m not arguing to outlaw tobacco or alcohol, but if we are going to make things illegal based solely on their harmful effects to society my vote would go with alcohol, tobacco and hard drugs like crack, smack and coke not soft drugs such as marijuana mainly but also magic mushrooms, and maybe ecstasy as well.
If anything a sensible change in attitudes to marijuana is most likely to involve the medicinal issue. Few people would really want to see their aging arthritic grandmother locked up for a sly doobie to eas her pain.
The case of Biz Ivol at the moment is something many people are picking up on in the UK, even those traditionally opposed to drugs in all forms such as the Conservative party. Here’s a link to some information about the case:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/030613/17/e2813.html
and here’s the link to the petition to have her charges dropped if anyone supports such a thing:
http://www.lca-uk.org/petition/index.php
love + hugs
it looks like the spotlight is starting to shine brighter now, about time.
We will more than likely need to wait for more of the older generation to pass on. My friend’s grandma believes marijuana is just as bad as shotting heroin or smoking crack, and she always votes!
The Nevada vote was aprox. 60-40, I would like to see the age demographics of that vote. Cite anyone?
I need to proff read thees things befor I post them.
I am 43 now. The vast majority of people I know serioiusly believe that legalization or decriminalization of marijuana would be a good thing. Who are these politicians representing? Nobody in my world!
Is it all about the money, or is there a huge group of Americans out there that I don’t deal with that believe that this “War Against Citizens” is just and right?
**
I’d take information gleaned from Jack Herer with a grain of salt. Anyway, there is evidence that while cannabis is “largely harmless” (deadly overdoses from marijuana are virtually unheard of), the preferred method of smoking it is at least as unhealthy as tobacco.
Unless some serious modification happens, Canada’s pot laws will not serve as an example for anyone. While softening possession penalties, it stiffens traficking punishment. So I guess it’s legal if you’ve got a green thumb and only grow one plant at a time.
Basically they are going to open up demand and make the supply more underground = more money going to a more criminal element. If anything, the results of this half-assed social engineering will be used falsely by prohibitionists as an example of growth in crime coming with decriminilization.
Well, have you considered quitting for the good of the nation? A personal sacrifice for the benefit of the many?