Medical Marijuana in CA, good/bad?

If things don't change in the next few years, I am retiring to CA and going into business for myself..... ME INC! Keep your eyes open (if you can).

I can't believe neither party has jumped on the Legalize It bandwagon. The first one that does will have a winner topic under their belt.

[edit on 4/20/2010 by anon72]

Originally posted by Simulacra
Nice first post.

I've thought about this. Lax marijuana laws contributes to an escalation of marijuana use in CA as well as the nation. But in essence, marijuana would be the perfect tool to 'pacify' the people. Brave New World and the film Equilibrium touched on these topics.

However, the use of marijuana is a choice and an illegal one at that. It's not being forced upon the people therefore I can't see the government using it for some hidden agenda. Now take for example chemicals such as fluroide which resides in the nation's drinking water. Fluroide is known to give you pearly whites and have ill effects upon ones health. Smoke herb, don't drink the water.

Good topic though.

Peaceful and pacified are two completely different things. It is not an "illegal choice" it is a personal choice that is immorally illegal. If anything, it is the plant to "heal the nations" both spiritually and economically. It is feared by TPTB not because it will make us apathetic, but aware, creative and pro active in matters directly conflicting with big government and share holders!

I agree with you're end statement for sure though!

[edit on 20-4-2010 by SmokeandShadow]

Originally posted by zaiger
reply to post by leftyknew

 

I hear ya. I never got how people are "anti government" but when it comes to their pot its "oh please let me have it tax it, regulate it, put my name on a list so i am registered but let me have it please".

You nailed it, it should not be a government issue, it should be a social one and a personal choice. No substance should be "banned", education is the answer, not the prison system.

I don't think it will have any big effect because the people who smoke it will get it one way or another,at least if caught holding and you have a card avoid jail or ticket and fine,so I think buisness as usual

From a revenue standpoint it's an amazing idea. Do you know how much money could be generated from the legalization and taxation of Marijuana?

It would be incredible. You could solve the deficit problems in 10 years, no questions asked.

As far as the argument that it's bad for kids and our society in general, well so is alchohol, which is far more destructive and dangerous than marijuana, that's a proven fact.

Once you remove the illegality of something, the crime for such a substance is also removed. You kill two birds with one stone in this way.

There's no violent crime for things that are legal.

~Keeper

reply to post by tothetenthpower

From a revenue standpoint it's an amazing idea. Do you know how much money could be generated from the legalization and taxation of Marijuana?

The budget problems come from the states spending more money than it is taking in, while legalization would appear to help to would still land us (california) in the same problem. It would not be used to pay down are current debt the state would see more money comming in so they would spend more money. It is simmilar to giving someone who is irresponsible with money a thousand dollars, sure they might use some of it to pay their immediate needs like the electric bill but then they would waste all the money after that and would end up back to square one.
Texas has very strict drug laws and has had a surplus in their budget.

There's no violent crime for things that are legal.

not true, money is legal and people kill eachother over that all the time. Alcohol is legal and im sure everyone has seen drunks duke it out. People who commit violent crimes do exactly that.

i didnt know we could talk about personal opinions here (about marijuana)

can we?

reply to post by zaiger


Well that's not the problem with legalization, that is a problem with the government spending when they should be using money towards lowering the deficit.

As for my comment about there being no violent crime for legal things, I should have stated "less" violent crime.

Nobody needs to kill each other over weed if it's readily available in a store.

~Keeper

reply to post by tothetenthpower

Well that's not the problem with legalization, that is a problem with the government spending when they should be using money towards lowering the deficit.

Right but that kind of goes against the argument that legalization will help the budget problem.

Nobody needs to kill each other over weed if it's readily available in a store.

But money is available to all that want to work and people kill eachother over that. But this is another double standard of the pro-legalization arguments. So people who use pot are killing eachother for it?

[edit on 20-4-2010 by zaiger]

Right but that kind of goes against the argument that legalization will help the budget problem.

No it doesn't. Your argument is based on the fact that ALL governments will do is spend spend spend and not take into account extra revenue as it should be.

Just because the current is like this does not mean to future will be. In a system where your politicians are smart and are NOT Arnold, they would use that money towards the deficit.

But money is available to all that want to work and people kill eachother over that. But this is another double standard of the pro-legalization arguments. So people who use pot are killing eachother for it?

What's the number one drug in the world? What's the number one inflated drug as far as price? Marijuana.

Yes people kill people over Marijuana. The war on drugs has created this. It's not a double standard, it's a proven fact that when you illegalize something, you create a market for it on the "black" market, where people have to commit a crime, violent or not to get what they desire.

When you decriminilize or legalize something such as a drug, you remove that social stigma and the need to commit crimes in order to get it. It's really that simple.

~Keeper

[edit on 4/20/2010 by tothetenthpower]

reply to post by tothetenthpower

Just because the current is like this does not mean to future will be. In a system where your politicians are smart and are NOT Arnold, they would use that money towards the deficit.

Did you live in california before arnold was in charge, davis did not exactly do a bang up job either? Everyone says that they will help pay toward the deficit but it ends up the same way. The government spends spends spends. Even when they want to raise money, it is never to raise money to help the debt problem it is always money for something else and they kind of tack on at the end there that it might help the budget problem. like "we should spend 2 billion dollars on _____ it will create jobs and help the budget" it is never "we should just use the 2billion dollars to address our budget problem".

When you decriminilize or legalize something such as a drug, you remove that social stigma and the need to commit crimes in order to get it. It's really that simple.

No it would not work like that. People who commit crimes to get what they want will do that for whatever they want, not just drugs. People steal TVs and car radios. Like i said money is legal and people kill eachother over it all the time.

It's not a double standard

It is, when it comes it the effect of pot it is always "does not cause people to be violent" and when it comes to the jail system it turns into "prisons are filled with non violent drug offenders" i know you have not said these things but they are boud to come up.

reply to post by leftyknew


first off,your original post says that marijuana removes motivation and could be used as like soma

that is not true, depending how the plant grows and it's strain being european or southern american will effect wether it is a stimulant or depressive 'high', to say that all marijuana makes you lazy or tired is not a very educated statement, you either have never smoked it, or only smoked low grade marijuana off the street which generally has that effect, though it is true that even good well grown plants can produce 'lazy' highs, it all depends on the strain and the sex of the plant

also, male marijuana plants only produce 3% THC and have been known to produce 'lazy' highs, where as female marijuana plants are around 20% and generally can have stimulant properties when smoked
again, to compare marijuana to the effects of the supposed 'some' is not close to being accurate

also, it's been stated millions of times, the CIA runs the program in the US as far as drugs go, that is how the government that controls the government gets it's founding, i doubt they would legallize it and lose the ability to profit off the crop without paper trails, to answer your question



[edit on 4/20/2010 by indigothefish]

Everybody wants a piece of the marijuana pie. This raises the price to rediculous levels for a dried weed. I'll stick with the black market prices because I am not a rich man. Freedom from pain is my recreation. Yes, it is a good thing for the wealthy and it takes the profit away from some bad people and gives it to some slightly bad people. It is good, and bad.

Originally posted by earthdude
Everybody wants a piece of the marijuana pie. This raises the price to rediculous levels for a dried weed. I'll stick with the black market prices because I am not a rich man. Freedom from pain is my recreation. Yes, it is a good thing for the wealthy and it takes the profit away from some bad people and gives it to some slightly bad people. It is good, and bad.

Actually that's not entirely true.

Think of all the businesses that will spring up, grow ops if you will that will provide PREMIUM Marijuana at the same cost as the guy on the street corner.

Just cause it will be sold and taxed doesn't mean it will come from the government.

~Keeper

Maybe they should also pass a law that will permit carying a conceiled weapon.

People with a receipe for grass will become targets for low-lifes waiting on the corner of the drugstore.

Best thing is to legalise mariaguana, it will give policemen the chance to look for real criminals aand the jails can be used for real criminals.

I know I am going off topic with this but I want to add; I do not smoke pot, but did when I was a teenager. From personal experiance I know how it can have a negative effect on young people.

Some young people have the state of mind and people around them that smoking pot will not effect their social and mental development. But other less fortunate will lose ambition and get confused for their purpose in life when smoking pot to much.

That is why I am against teenagers smoking it and should there be a minimum age for users....when legalised.

Originally posted by tothetenthpower

Originally posted by earthdude
Everybody wants a piece of the marijuana pie. This raises the price to rediculous levels for a dried weed. I'll stick with the black market prices because I am not a rich man. Freedom from pain is my recreation. Yes, it is a good thing for the wealthy and it takes the profit away from some bad people and gives it to some slightly bad people. It is good, and bad.

Actually that's not entirely true.

Think of all the businesses that will spring up, grow ops if you will that will provide PREMIUM Marijuana at the same cost as the guy on the street corner.

Just cause it will be sold and taxed doesn't mean it will come from the government.

~Keeper

None of it comes from the goverment. I have a friend with cancer in California. He pays 10 times what the weed is worth. Yes, many businesses have popped up and fortunes have been made but the consumer has been ripped off. I would buy tobacco on the black market if I could, but I can't find one. A ciggarette costs 25 cents but is only worth 5 cents. A joint costs 5 dollars from a dispensiary but it is only worth 25 cents.

reply to post by earthdude


marijuana grows best without unnatural additives, i mean, it's 'weed' it does not require nor like special growing treatment

growing it is extremely cheap compared to growing other normal american cash crops, tax is the only thing that would make it cost more than it costs on the street right now

of course if it were legal people would grow it in their back yard, and seeds would be everywhere eventually so anyone could finance themselves easily into producing their own medicine or recreation crop

reply to post by earthdude

I'll stick with the black market prices because I am not a rich man

Good point. I do not think people get that the price will rise if it becomes legal. The large growers in mexico do not pay the people to pick and take care of the crop minimum wage. Some of the people who trasport it do so under threat of death and some are not paid at all. If it becomes legal then the price will go up. You would have to pay people to care,pick, transport, distribute, sell, advertise and on and on then they have to make sure to facor in a proffit and then you will have the tax that will be added on. So for the business to survive they would have to rely on bulk sales like the produce you buy at a grocery store. Grocery stores and farmers make pennies sometimes fraction of pennies on any given transaction they keep their doors open because of the large ammount of sales.

So if it does become legal this is how it will go down.
First little mom and pop type stores would be selling what they grow in their little crop. Then chain stores would open up, then big companies like wal-mart and target would catch on and start selling too. As time went on smaller operations would start getting their crops stolen from local kids and people who just wanted to steal it. Then legislation would pass restricting how this plant was grown because it is a narcotic and it would be easily accessable to kids. This would make the small mom and pop stores shut down and start to offer their product on the black market if they want to keep selling their stuff or they would have to buy from a larger producer like who ever walmart was buying from. Some of the chain stores would also shut down or start selling for the bigger companies. So with the added regulation the price would have to go up. So now everyone would have to buy the crappy mass produced stuff from stores that costs more than they are used to. Or the could get the really good stuff that was being produced illegally for cheaper from the people growing it at home or bringing it up from mexico. You would end up with a black market again.

reply to post by earthdude


dispenseries reserve the right to charge whatever they want

also, since marijuana is 'taboo' there are no guidelines requiring any restrictions on selling it where it actually is legal on a state level

so your friend is getting ripped off due to his own choice, or where ever he buys it is ripping him off

if marijuana was not so 'taboo' and it were legal, then regulation would be availiable that could limit people from charging rediculous prices, but as of now smoking or consuming it legally on a state level really calms your nerves as far as worrying about the police coming to get you, so the extra price is almost a security thing

once you get to the point where you can't get arrested for it by state police, you feel OK to pay those prices, it's just a scam though

reply to post by indigothefish

dispenseries reserve the right to charge whatever they want

In california right now they have to opperate on a not for proffit basis. They have to charge enough to cover their expenses and right now it is not very much cheaper than black market prices.