Voters give nod to legal marijuana in Oregon, Alaska, and Washington, D.C.

Never realized how great we have it here on the west coast until I hung out with my first person from NY who paid more for a gram than we do for an 1/8th of better quality product. I'm sure there are a lot of factors involved with that ridiculous price gouging, from lack of space and expense to grow, more organized crime and gangs controlling the market vs mom and pop hippie growers out west, to the legal and political climate of the area, but hopefully with legalization sweeping the country it will have a positive effect on their prices and supply even if they don't actually legalize it.

a reply to: WarminIndy

How would smoking under medical guidelines be any different then someone who pops a painkiller, or a tranquilizer? i would take someone working after smoking pot over the other two any day. I have never heard of someone being high on pot at work and causing a dangerous or deadly accident, I have however seen people who use prescription drugs or alcohol do so.

As far as recreational use, the people who would smoke it before going to their place of work would do so whether its legal or not. those are the same people who would drink a beer, snort a line or pop a pill for fun before work. you demonize the substance while ignoring that its the people who are responsible.

You speak of INTOXICATION like its the devil, no one who is pro legalization is saying that we should live in bubbles filled with smoke so that we can constantly be high. we seek the right to enjoy our form of INTOXICATION without the fear of legal restraints. why should drugs that are more dangerous be legal, and yet a plant that over half of us want legalized that has no real short term or long term use problems gets you time in either jail or a rehab program.

originally posted by: Thecakeisalie
a reply to: Krazysh0t



The problem seems to be that certain factions see cannabis as a narcotic, what they fail to realize is that it can be manufactured to help those in palliative care or to help those who suffer from terminal illness.

They don't see it as a narcotic. They aren't stupid. They publicly claim to see it as a narcotic because marijuana prohibition benefits them personally. Police. Booze dealers. What have you.

While there are uninformed, honestly mistaken people out there who do sincerely believe that the harms associated with marijuana use are greater than the harms associated with the prohibition of marijuana, those people are not the ones who are capable of making enough of a ruckus to stand in the way of legalization.

And those who are standing in the way know full well that marijuana can help people.

They just don't care.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

They need to remove it from the schedule one rating it has on it now. This states that it has no medical value which is plain BS. This would allow state to determine if they want to allow it and then it would be up to each county just like in Colorado to approve it.

originally posted by: LOSTinAMERICA
a reply to: nomickeyshere

Pretty much. The pot heads will fight fierce for the stupor but sit on their collective asses and procrastinate. Go ahead, I'm ready for the backlash but you'll never change my mind on the subject. I didn't watch reefer madness and I've tried the stupid #. I put it down when it was time to put away childish things. Smoke yourself away!

Do you drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes?

originally posted by: WhiteAlice

originally posted by: proob4
Congrats to Oregon, Alaska, and Washington, D.C. I hope MICHIGAN is soon.

Maybe I'm just not awake enough yet but reading this and seeing "Washington D.C." on the end just keeps making laugh aloud over and over again. LOLOL Marijuana--illegal federally, legal in our capitol.

lmao

I think this is an interesting point folks.....Congress has to approve it for it to actually be implemented as legal in D.C. If they do such a thing, arent they effectively stating it should be legal US wide?

By not supporting it and rejecting the vote, they would be going against the will of the people...

This is a very prickly position they are in.

I cant wait to see how this all turns out.

Firstly I will say that I have been smoking it for over 25 years now, to begin with it was obviously as youngster looking to get high and have a giggle! But the effects from the "high" for me is a much more introspective experience and the focus it has given me allows me to function as a person better. Its not acted as a "gateway" drug although I have tried other drugs but weed is the one for me! I don't drink alcohol at all! So I can speak from the point of view as a smoker and recreational user of the sacred herb. Also bear this in mind, it makes absolutely no difference to me whether its legal or not because I will always be able to obtain and consume it regardless!!! But its not all about the high. For what ever reason this plant is proving to have a massive impact on the lives of so many people that have deliberating conditions such as, MS, ceryble paulsy, glaucoma, extreme pain, arthritis, eating disorders and even cancer, the list is expanding everyday! No we know the economic reasons why (Randolph Hirst) its been banned. But the law of humanity demands that we release the restrictions and fully explore this remarkable plant and make life easier for millions of people.

a reply to: WarminIndy

Yes and I'm giving you parallels to already legal narcotics that people can take and go to work with. Your argument is incredibly short sighted and ignores the fact that there are already narcotics on the market that are MORE powerful and more legal than marijuana.

So if there isn't a problem with someone popping pills and going to work high, then there won't be a problem with people smoking a joint and going to work high. You most REALLY love tyranny to grasp at these straws so desperately. Sorry, but you live in the wrong country. In this country we RESPECT freedom, and freedom is going to win the day for this in the end.

a reply to: ecapsretuo

I can understand the children's doctors on there wanting to keep it illegal. They want to keep it out of the hands of children, though their fears are misplaced since it would be easier to do that if the plant were legal. But ok. However it is VERY telling that police departments lobby CONTINUALLY to keep this plant illegal. It is clear they are voting with their wallets and not with liberty in mind.

How many Republican right middle class Americans are now whacked off their minds on oxycontin???? Yeah oxycontin is heroin!!!! If only they knew how effective cannabis is as an analgesic! And non addictive! With an LD50 rating of 1500lbs consumed in 15 mins!!! In other words its impossible to be killed by this plant!

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Well, in Alaska we voted to legalize Marijuana, raise our minimum wage, and add additional environmental protection to salmon fisheries...

Yet we kicked out the Democrat we had in the senate and elected a Republican who is against these things.

Alaska: We have no idea what is going on up here.

I am actually afraid of this trend, for one reason and one reason only.

Just like Alcohol, pot can be abused and people seem to get interesting on it, and go out and drive or work heavy machinery and well...

I have to go 8 hour days without pain medication after my surgery because I don't want to be impaired at work (although after this amount of time, it's hardly imparting as I've been on it so long) but still grouping true narcotics like Vicodin in the same vein as Pot is not a good thing, opiate based rugs like Vicodin and Percocet have their places, it's true, and while I support the medical use of Marijuana I never have been against that for people that can't tolerate opiates, I do not support making it willy nilly legal to buy like a cigarette... note Opiates aren't dispensed like that in the US... they need a prescription and are very tightly controlled under the CSA.

Just my 2.5 cents adjusted for inflation, I fully expect I'm going to get flamed for my views as well...

a reply to: vkey08

Well tobacco kills more than alcohol or opiates every year.

Although people that smoke or chew tobacco can operate machinery and function as "normal" compared to a drunk person.

a reply to: vkey08

Flaming is unnecessary but trying to equate opiates or even alcohol with weed is just disingenuous. Weed is ubiquitous. Has been basically forever. If someone is irresponsible enough to impair themselves on anything and then go to work then it is that person's problem. People do, however, become physically dependent ion alcohol and some widely abused prescription drugs. Physical dependencies remove a lot o the 'choice' associated with using a substance. Lots of people use weed recreationally but would never go to work or 'operate heavy machinery' stoned. Same is true for alcohol. But there ARE people who are stupid enough or out-of-control enough to do just that. But for my money, I'd much rather be on the highway with someone who is stoned on weed than someone who is drunk.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: jtma508

That's a good point. Though keep in mind that many Republicans have been coming around to legal weed as well. It isn't just the Democrats. Alaska is a red state.

Freedom vs Equality is the real Right vs Left.

IMO, legalizing MJ falls under "Freedom" (right/republican) principals and not "Equality" (left/democrat) principals.

I think the thought behind the opposite being true (right against, left for) has to do with the culture of the party bases, not the actual ideals of the two parties.

God Bless,

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
a reply to: Krazysh0t

Well, in Alaska we voted to legalize Marijuana, raise our minimum wage, and add additional environmental protection to salmon fisheries...

Yet we kicked out the Democrat we had in the senate and elected a Republican who is against these things.

Alaska: We have no idea what is going on up here.

You in Alaska too? Go figure.

Yeah, we gave up our experienced, moderate democrat for a complete tool. Oh well; it's still a Red state I suppose no matter the fact that Unions had major successes this election, as did fisheries and of course low-pay workers. And the pot crowd.

a reply to: vkey08

So then you also feel that alcohol should be illegal then right? After all alcohol is FAR more dangerous than pot.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: vkey08

So then you also feel that alcohol should be illegal then right? After all alcohol is FAR more dangerous than pot.[/quote
In 2012, about 3.3 million net deaths, or
5.9% of all global deaths, were
attributable to alcohol consumption.

Sourced from WHO

Pot accounted for 0

I am afraid alcohol is completely different to weed.

In 2012, about 3.3 million net deaths, or
5.9% of all global deaths, were
attributable to alcohol consumption.

Sourced from WHO

Pot accounted for 0

I am afraid alcohol is completely different to weed.

a reply to: damo1583

Thanks for the backup on the statistics. Can't hurt to keep pounding those stats into people's heads until everyone gets it.