it's hard to tax something that everybody can grow in the privacy of their home/back yard.
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CD Moderators: someguyontheinternet
How close is USA to legalization?
- Thread starter FrostyMcFailure
- Start date
it's hard to tax something that everybody can grow in the privacy of their home/back yard.
Basil and aloe vera can be grown in the privacy of people's own home/back yard. Yet out of everyone that eats basil or use aloe vera, who grows their own?
lol, bad example, bro. i have basil in my backyard and a sweet aloe vera plant inside my house.
homegrown herbs/spices are way better than what you get at a grocery store, pimpin'. i got thyme, basil (purple, lemon and thai), oregano, rosemary, garlic and onion chives, and 2 different kinds of sage growing in my backyard. there's some spearmint taking over the thyme, though, and i seriously have no idea where it came from but i like it.
plus bell and hot peppers, all types of tomatoes, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and grape-vines intertwined all through the fence... shit, dude, my backyard is like a huge habitat for all types of plants and animals. if i could grow pot without worrying about my neighbors seeing it and diming me out, you better believe that i'd have like a quarter-acre dedicated to ganja.
but not many people enjoy gardening and botany the way i do. well, i don't typically meet people like that, at least. so to answer your question, probably not many.
safety
Bluelighter
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While it is very easy to grow your own marijuana, I do believe that many people would simply buy it from the store. Not everyone is such a dedicated ganja-head that they would grow their own; some people also live in climates that aren't the best for growing ganja. There's all kinds of reasons that people would just buy it. I bet it's easy to grow tobacco, yet millions of smokers a day buy packs of pre-made, pre-rolled, ready to smoke cigarettes.
The govt. loves to get their tax money, I'm sure they'd find a way to make sure they get their $$$$ even if they make you pay $50 per year per plant license to grow or something. They'd find a way.
Sounds like you have a cool garden, Jibult. I like growing plants (legal ones) myself, gonna have some tomatos, corn, leafy green vegetables etc this year
The govt. loves to get their tax money, I'm sure they'd find a way to make sure they get their $$$$ even if they make you pay $50 per year per plant license to grow or something. They'd find a way.
Sounds like you have a cool garden, Jibult. I like growing plants (legal ones) myself, gonna have some tomatos, corn, leafy green vegetables etc this year
$n0w
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ya most people are too lazy to grow their own. however, if they knew it was legal to do so, im sure there would be an increase in growers. Its very time consuming and requires dedication. Why wait months at a time for your bud when you can simply walk to the store and pick up your shit?
JahRed24x
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Yeah dude they wont let it be legal because pharmaceutical companies would be greatly effected. And yeah they could tax it but if its legal then that means you can grow your own, so that would probably just be one more reason to not legalize it. Fuck this worlds ignorance.
FrostyMcFailure
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quote for truth, convince is a huge selling point in modern day society.
jezushmfchrist
Bluelighter
marijuana will never be legal.. complete decriminalization? i say within the next couple years as the government realizes how much money they can make by exploiting medical marijuana growers by taxing the living shit out of them and make billions while at the same time still be able to arrest smokers.. also bringing in billions
safety
Bluelighter
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Indeed they will do whatever is in their best interest. Whatever will line their pockets with the most $$$$$
MyDoorsAreOpen
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Depends what you mean by legalization. If you mean a status equal to alcohol or tobacco nowadays, I'd say any of us will be lucky to live to see that day.
There may come a day sometime soon when most places in the US have relegated marijuana to lowest priority for law enforcement, effectively making possession the equivalent to a traffic ticket -- a fine and confiscation, but no criminal record. I also see a day when medical marijuana is legalized at the state and local level in most American communities.
But I don't see any soon end to:
* a federally funded DEA that raids and hunts down suppliers of marijuana
* criminal penalties for selling and distribution in most places
* criminal penalties for growing in most places
* marijuana use or possession (without a medical license) as a pretext for more thorough investigations / searches / stripping away of other rights.
The legalization movement is already more than a generation old, and so is the solid science supporting marijuana not being that dangerous. The only parsimonious explanation is that law enforcement agencies have already done the math, and have solidly decided that they have more to gain -- both financially and in terms of a foot-in-the-door for other crimefighting, when marijuana remains illegal.
There may come a day sometime soon when most places in the US have relegated marijuana to lowest priority for law enforcement, effectively making possession the equivalent to a traffic ticket -- a fine and confiscation, but no criminal record. I also see a day when medical marijuana is legalized at the state and local level in most American communities.
But I don't see any soon end to:
* a federally funded DEA that raids and hunts down suppliers of marijuana
* criminal penalties for selling and distribution in most places
* criminal penalties for growing in most places
* marijuana use or possession (without a medical license) as a pretext for more thorough investigations / searches / stripping away of other rights.
The legalization movement is already more than a generation old, and so is the solid science supporting marijuana not being that dangerous. The only parsimonious explanation is that law enforcement agencies have already done the math, and have solidly decided that they have more to gain -- both financially and in terms of a foot-in-the-door for other crimefighting, when marijuana remains illegal.
FrostyMcFailure
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man thats fucked up.
sunshinefix
Bluelighter
I think that we can all agree that cannabis is readily available locally almost everywhere, regardless of its legal status. I don't know anyone aside from myself that has been even arrested for possession...and I know a LOT of people who smoke...in FL.
My point is, it won't be long before most politicians will get their heads out of their asses and realize the government is broke and they need money from something since they are looking at reforming healthcare which will be expensive. After all the hysteria about the economy subsides they will set the cogs into motion to legalize.
We should really think about organizing on more a local level, and start being more vocal. It would be like lining up all those politicians and just going down the line smacking all of them, wouldn't it.
Here's hoping all that made sense.
My point is, it won't be long before most politicians will get their heads out of their asses and realize the government is broke and they need money from something since they are looking at reforming healthcare which will be expensive. After all the hysteria about the economy subsides they will set the cogs into motion to legalize.
We should really think about organizing on more a local level, and start being more vocal. It would be like lining up all those politicians and just going down the line smacking all of them, wouldn't it.
Here's hoping all that made sense.
DropDeadDevin
Bluelighter
I smoke now.
I'll smoke then.
'Nuff said.
I'll smoke then.
'Nuff said.
safety
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SpiralOut
Bluelighter
I think folks saying "never" or "two generations or more" and crap like that just actively WANT to be negative about the issue so they can try and not be emotionally invested in it, ya know?
As with a ton of things in human existence, there's a critical mass point where things rapidly change. Renaissance. Industrial revolution. It's seen in product use too, such as cell phones, Blackberrys, TVs, etc. and so forth.
The idea is that only a few cutting edge people start out with an idea or using a product, etc. and then over time more and more people get on the bandwagon until it hits critical mass. When that point happens, things rapidly escalate where everyone is aware of it/doing it/using it/etc.
Easy case in point? Cell phone. Back in the 80s a few people had car phones and HUGE Zack Morris style cell-phones. Then it hit a critical mass point (because of technology advances and other things) and now everyone and their dog has a cell phone and a lot of people (like myself) don't even own a landline.
I think the same thing happens in regards to marijuana use and the laws surrounding it. We've been fighting against government misinformation and oppression since the '30s. However, slowly but surely, more and more Americans use marijuana, find out it isn't evil, spread that knowledge, and so on and so forth.
Probably sooner than a lot of people think, we're going to hit critical mass on this deal. It'll make logical sense for the government to legalize it (economy, crime in Mexico and here, the list goes on) and a large portion of the population will be on board with it.
Of course as with all great things, it'll start at the State level where people still have some freedoms and can make rational decisions. Once a few states get on board with decriminalization and then legalization, everyone else will start falling into line regardless of whether the clown with the big ears running the show laughs the issue off or not.
As with a ton of things in human existence, there's a critical mass point where things rapidly change. Renaissance. Industrial revolution. It's seen in product use too, such as cell phones, Blackberrys, TVs, etc. and so forth.
The idea is that only a few cutting edge people start out with an idea or using a product, etc. and then over time more and more people get on the bandwagon until it hits critical mass. When that point happens, things rapidly escalate where everyone is aware of it/doing it/using it/etc.
Easy case in point? Cell phone. Back in the 80s a few people had car phones and HUGE Zack Morris style cell-phones. Then it hit a critical mass point (because of technology advances and other things) and now everyone and their dog has a cell phone and a lot of people (like myself) don't even own a landline.
I think the same thing happens in regards to marijuana use and the laws surrounding it. We've been fighting against government misinformation and oppression since the '30s. However, slowly but surely, more and more Americans use marijuana, find out it isn't evil, spread that knowledge, and so on and so forth.
Probably sooner than a lot of people think, we're going to hit critical mass on this deal. It'll make logical sense for the government to legalize it (economy, crime in Mexico and here, the list goes on) and a large portion of the population will be on board with it.
Of course as with all great things, it'll start at the State level where people still have some freedoms and can make rational decisions. Once a few states get on board with decriminalization and then legalization, everyone else will start falling into line regardless of whether the clown with the big ears running the show laughs the issue off or not.
MyDoorsAreOpen
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^ Trust me, I'd want nothing more than to see my favorite pastime legalized. But I just don't see the present mix of political and economic forces in the US as conducive to it.
One of the major confounding factors is that the US is the 'toughest kid on the block' in terms of international power. Nobody can really fuck with the US. This depends on the US never showing weakness in front of other nations. Americans underestimate how powerful a force this is in shaping not only foreign policy but domestic policy as well. The point is, for the US government to backpedal on a major policy issue, like marijuana, is to show weakness, which is not what you want when you want to be respected and/or feared by others. The US government would rather 'never back down' than 'always be fair'.
Legalization of marijuana will become a lot closer to a possibility when the US has declined on the world stage, and therefore has a lot less to lose by contradicting its prior behavior. Even more so if the emergent world power that displaces the US has reason to take a stridently pro-marijuana stance. (Hey, anything's possible!) But all this could be centuries away.
One of the major confounding factors is that the US is the 'toughest kid on the block' in terms of international power. Nobody can really fuck with the US. This depends on the US never showing weakness in front of other nations. Americans underestimate how powerful a force this is in shaping not only foreign policy but domestic policy as well. The point is, for the US government to backpedal on a major policy issue, like marijuana, is to show weakness, which is not what you want when you want to be respected and/or feared by others. The US government would rather 'never back down' than 'always be fair'.
Legalization of marijuana will become a lot closer to a possibility when the US has declined on the world stage, and therefore has a lot less to lose by contradicting its prior behavior. Even more so if the emergent world power that displaces the US has reason to take a stridently pro-marijuana stance. (Hey, anything's possible!) But all this could be centuries away.
SpiralOut
Bluelighter
If you think legalization of marijuana is "centuries" away, get help. Now. Hurry.
The U.S. FREQUENTLY backtracks on TONS of issues. Lets see how many I can come up with right off the top of my head:
1. Slavery
2. Troops in Iraq/Anytime troops are pulled out a la Somalia and the Blackhawk Down incident
3. Gitmo/"Torture"
4. Which countries we're "friendly" with
5. Embargo nonsense with Cuba
The list goes on.
The only reason marijuana is illegal is because it currently benefits the corrupt politicians in Washington and their big business lobbyist friends for it to be illegal. Jails, the court system, alcohol, and cigs are all BIG TIME cash cows in this country.
However, public opinion is getting to the point where the government can't just lie their asses off completely about the issue and screw everyone. Hell, the government has already changed their stance from "ZOMG! WEED IS EVIL AND KILLS!" to "Damn, kids. Weed isn't cool and will make you suck at video games. We actually can't lie anymore and act like its worse than cigs or alcohol. So. Yeah...."
With the economy the way it is, with the violence in Mexico, with the jail system about to burst its seams because of all the low level drug offenders, etc., it's going to start being beneficial to politicians to change the laws. 13 states already have it decriminalized or legalized for medicinal use. That's just going to snowball until it's decriminalized everywhere and from there it's just a hop, skip, and a jump to legalization.
Not saying it's going to happen tomorrow, but get real. It's happening soon. Also, since Obama is out shaking hands with a guy like Chavez who called our last President "the Devil" and he's basically begun the steps needed to lift the embargo on Cuba which has last for decades, uhh, yeah. . .I don't think this administration in the White House is too busy worrying about "acting tough" for the world or whatever.
The U.S. FREQUENTLY backtracks on TONS of issues. Lets see how many I can come up with right off the top of my head:
1. Slavery
2. Troops in Iraq/Anytime troops are pulled out a la Somalia and the Blackhawk Down incident
3. Gitmo/"Torture"
4. Which countries we're "friendly" with
5. Embargo nonsense with Cuba
The list goes on.
The only reason marijuana is illegal is because it currently benefits the corrupt politicians in Washington and their big business lobbyist friends for it to be illegal. Jails, the court system, alcohol, and cigs are all BIG TIME cash cows in this country.
However, public opinion is getting to the point where the government can't just lie their asses off completely about the issue and screw everyone. Hell, the government has already changed their stance from "ZOMG! WEED IS EVIL AND KILLS!" to "Damn, kids. Weed isn't cool and will make you suck at video games. We actually can't lie anymore and act like its worse than cigs or alcohol. So. Yeah...."
With the economy the way it is, with the violence in Mexico, with the jail system about to burst its seams because of all the low level drug offenders, etc., it's going to start being beneficial to politicians to change the laws. 13 states already have it decriminalized or legalized for medicinal use. That's just going to snowball until it's decriminalized everywhere and from there it's just a hop, skip, and a jump to legalization.
Not saying it's going to happen tomorrow, but get real. It's happening soon. Also, since Obama is out shaking hands with a guy like Chavez who called our last President "the Devil" and he's basically begun the steps needed to lift the embargo on Cuba which has last for decades, uhh, yeah. . .I don't think this administration in the White House is too busy worrying about "acting tough" for the world or whatever.