ECON How Weed Won the West

Do you think marijuana should be legalized at the federal level?

  • Yes

    Votes: 88 83.0%

  • No

    Votes: 14 13.2%

  • Undecided

    Votes: 4 3.8%
  • Total voters
    106
S

SacredCow

Member
Trailer:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzT1a1NKoKM

While California is going bankrupt, one business is booming. "How Weed Won the West" is the story of the growing medical cannabis / marijuana industry in the greater Los Angeles area, with over 700 dispensaries doling out the buds. As a treatment for conditions ranging from cancer and AIDS, to anxiety, ADHD, and insomnia, cannabis is quickly proving itself as a healthier natural alternative to many prescription drugs.

Following the story of Organica, a collective owned by Jeff Joseph that was raided by the DEA in August of '09, the film shows that although some things have changed with Obama in office, the War on Drugs is nowhere near over. From Kevin Booth, the producer/director of Showtime's "American Drug War", "How Weed Won the West" puts California forward as an example to the rest of the country by documenting how legalizing marijuana can help save the economy.

Featuring:
Ethan Nadelmann (Drug Policy Alliance / DPA)
Don Duncan (Americans for Safe Access / ASA)
Jon Perri (Students for Sensible Drug Policy / SSDP)
Alex Jones (radio host and filmmaker)
Bill Kroger (LA Marijuana Attorney)
Jeff Joseph (owner of Organica Collective)
Doug Stanhope (comedian)
and more!

http://www.SacredCow.com

:dhr:
 
P

Publius

TB Fanatic
From what I'v seen and know, I don't personally know any users that rape, rob, or pillage from using it or to just get a bag of weed and when it used up its used up that it, not like heroin or crack where they have to go out and rob & steal in order to pay for their next fix.
 
MadMax

MadMax

The Republic of Texas
Natural and healthier

Alcohol is legal and cannabis / marijuana is not, for those that have experimented know that this is just stupid. The war on drugs seems to only give government agents more jobs, fills our prisons leaving no room for real criminals. Geez I could type for hours on how stupid our governments take on this issue is. I agree with Publius most "stoners" go to work and are contribing members of sociaty. :cool:
 
Greenspode

Greenspode

Veteran Member
I do think it should be legal.

I have been known to partake at times. :spns:

I can say, with absolute certainty, that I have never done something after smoking that I regreted the next day. Can not say that about alcohol.

I have never behaved recklessly after smoking. Can't say that about alcohol.

I have never thought I could drive after smoking and done so. Cant say that about alcohol. Heck, it requires planning for 20 minutes to be motivated enough to walk to the kitchen!

Just a nice way to relax after a tough day. Smoke a J, eat some ice cream, some brownies, half a bag of Doritoes, and off to bed. Where is the harm in that? Other than, of course, to the waist line!!
 
hrspwr

hrspwr

Inactive
Decriminalized -YES. But lets not celebrate the stuff, nor should we celebrate alcohol which IMO is a much harder drug.
 
Dux

Dux

Veteran Member
What kind of jobs do we want to encourage? Organized crime, law enforcement, prisons and courts, or farmers and shopkeepers? Hmm I'll get back you on that...
 
L

Lost Patriot

Membership Revoked
I had to vote NO for legalization. Don't get me wrong here. I have been an advocate of weed for over 30 years, so let me explain.

Legalization will lead to taxation, and Government Control. If you do not buy from them, and have a valid tax card/receipt to prove it, you will still be criminalized.

Decriminalization is the only answer.

NO VICTIM, NO CRIME!
 
jed turtle

jed turtle

a brother in the Lord
Lost Patriot said:
I had to vote NO for legalization. Don't get me wrong here. I have been an advocate of weed for over 30 years, so let me explain.

Legalization will lead to taxation, and Government Control. If you do not buy from them, and have a valid tax card/receipt to prove it, you will still be criminalized.

Decriminalization is the only answer.

NO VICTIM, NO CRIME!
Click to expand...

Decriminalization IS the only answer for any natural plant grown from a natural seed.

however, i could be easily convinced that "concentrating" any psychoactive chemical-bearing substance should be controlled.

as potent as marijuana "can" be, making it into hash, THC, etc, not to mention all the products of coca leaves, etc, i believe there is a place for concentrated products but not in the hands of "recreational" users.

tptb use the framework of underground illegal distribution of marijuana as the apparatus to introduce users of cannabis to much more addictive substances,
hence making it legal is out of the question...
 
L

Lost Patriot

Membership Revoked
jed turtle said:
Decriminalization IS the only answer for any natural plant grown from a natural seed.

however, i could be easily convinced that "concentrating" any psychoactive chemical-bearing substance should be controlled.

as potent as marijuana "can" be, making it into hash, THC, etc, not to mention all the products of coca leaves, etc, i believe there is a place for concentrated products but not in the hands of "recreational" users.

tptb use the framework of underground illegal distribution of marijuana as the apparatus to introduce users of cannabis to much more addictive substances,
hence making it legal is out of the question...
Click to expand...

Agreed, but then we get back to the subject of, "What I put in my body, is my business."

If I want to concentrate the THC to avoid smoking the buds and leaves, then that is my choice, not the Governments. However if you concentrate it, then sell it to someone else, you have crossed the legal threshold. Which would be punishable criminally.
 
MadMax

MadMax

The Republic of Texas
Decriminalization

I agree that decriminalized is the what it should be , but either way less of us would be crimanals, and more people would be working. They already contol and tax my beer :chg:
 
undead

undead

Veteran Member
False premise in the poll.


It presumes that the Federal government should be regulating what is clearly a state issue.


I voted NO, as the Feds should have no involvement, including "legalizing in order to tax".



.
 
D

Double_A

TB Fanatic
undead said:
False premise in the poll.


It presumes that the Federal government should be regulating what is clearly a state issue.


I voted NO, as the Feds should have no involvement, including "legalizing in order to tax".



.
Click to expand...


so you putczed up the poll, because the question was not worded correctly in your opinion? Say what are you smoking in your avitar?
 
undead

undead

Veteran Member
Double_A said:
so you putczed up the poll, because the question was not worded correctly in your opinion? Say what are you smoking in your avitar?
Click to expand...

My avatar is Obama, you'd need to ask what he's smoking.

As regards the poll, it's not "putczing" up the poll, as it's my opinion that NO, the FEDERAL government should not legalize marijuana, the states should.

How many of our rights are up for surrender to the Feds?


.
 
D

Double_A

TB Fanatic
undead said:
My avatar is Obama, you'd need to ask what he's smoking.

As regards the poll, it's not "putczing" up the poll, as it's my opinion that NO, the FEDERAL government should not legalize marijuana, the states should.

How many of our rights are up for surrender to the Feds?


.
Click to expand...

I understand what you did and your reason why. Someone asked do you like the color red? and you answered, I like oatmeal for breakfast.
 
Aardaerimus

Aardaerimus

Anunnaku
Yes.

Frankly, I think there should be NO LAWS passed at the federal level. Law should be a matter of state, voted upon by the people of each state. It should never be a federal blanket, as when it is passed at a federal level it is no longer representative of the will of The People. These are the seeds of tyranny.
 
Ender

Ender

Inactive
undead said:
False premise in the poll.


It presumes that the Federal government should be regulating what is clearly a state issue.


I voted NO, as the Feds should have no involvement, including "legalizing in order to tax".



.
Click to expand...

I agree; absolutely no Fed involvement.
 
dimensiondancer

dimensiondancer

Inactive
Yes, weed only.

Crack & Heroin - NO!!

I'd rather be in driving traffic with weed smokers vs. drunken fools, text messengers & crack heads anyday. Much less chance to get maimed & killed by the paranoid potheads.
 
P

Publius

TB Fanatic
I see many here are worried about government taking control of it, well they are doing that now and its costing us $100's of millions per-year and much to our detriment in many way's! They are not going to babysit your kids but instead arrest them if caught using it, and make second class citizens (striped of citizenship & right's) out of them for life. Yes government will try to put some kind of tax on the sales and just how out of hand they get will depend on the people letting them do so, lest we create a black market because of heavy handed taxation, end up almost right back where we started from.
 
Flippper

Flippper

Time Traveler
It would be interesting to see the numbers of how many who smoke think it should be legalized (all, I imagine) and how many who don't smoke it want it legalized.

The pot of today is nothing like the pot of 30 years ago, it's like comparing water to Everclear. I've done it then and I've done it now and I cannot imagine any person driving or working under the influence of today's weed with any more sense or sobriety than someone who is drunk. It is a mind altering drug-if it wasn't people wouldn't abuse it.

I don't know any pot smokers who are contributors to society, the one's I know are unemployed or marginally working under the table at jobs so they don't have to pay taxes, and always have been such types. I am sure there are some who work good jobs out there and smoke, just as there are doctors and lawyers who are hardcore meth users (I do know some of those). All it means is they are putting the lives and well being of others at the mercy of their abusive habits.

And I've posted before about the violence of people I know who are daily pot smokers who lose their source of weed.

It's a drug. It alters the normal state of the mind. If it's legal the closet smokers will come out of the closet and be driving, flying planes, conducting trains...and while that will still be illegal, if it's easy to get and legal at some places and times, the smokers will use it and take their chances, just like drinkers do.

That said, I agree with another poster who said it's not a federal issue, but a state issue. And don't go getting excited if it is legalized, you saw what they did to ciggarettes. Here in WA a pack of ciggies went from $1.75 a pack to over 8$ (I've been told-not personal experience.) It will be legalized as a means of income for the dirtbags in office who can't tax or spend enough of your money.
 
Green

Green

Paranoid in Los Angeles
Flippper said:
The pot of today is nothing like the pot of 30 years ago, it's like comparing water to Everclear.
Click to expand...

True dat. But then again, in the good ole days we'd roll up 5 huge fatties (hey, I grew up in Oregon) and pass them all at once around the circle until gone. Today, from "what I hear" one hit and you settle back into the couch to get lost flipping through 100 channels.

So, just like you don't chug Everclear like you might a beer, people don't smoke the weed the same way they did back in the $10 a bag Panama Red days.
 
mcchrystal

mcchrystal

Inactive
The Federal government does not have the authority to legalize or criminalize any
naturally-grown substance. Just my 3 cents.

Of course, this is the real world, and the government has assumed a grouping of
rights and authorities, one of which is the classification of controlled substances.

I do not think marijuana (or any plant, for that matter) should be in any way criminal.
I'm not a partaker, but I find the idea that the consumption of any green, leafy form
of vegetation should be illegal to be absurd.

-Steve in Burbank
 
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