Two House Bills Would End Federal Prohibition Of Marijuana

originally posted by: TheLotLizard
The only way that marijuana prohibition will end is when all the older generations die out as they are the ones most likely to oppose it.

Which generation would that be? Most of my generation has been saying for years let the feds tax it and it would become legal. Sale it in stores like hard liquor, regulate it, tax it, at the federal level and it will become legal.

You can grow and smoke your own tobacco and you can distill an allotted amount of spirits each year for personal use. You can grow and distill as long as it does not effect interstate commerce's as the feds like to call it selling tobacco or home made spirits to others. The same would go for personal use for weed too
a reply to: FinalCountdown

I can't help but wonder if Monsanto is behind this...

I doubt they will make it completely illegal to grow your own if this bill passes. I wonder how long it could take in a committee before the floor even gets to vote on it.

a reply to: FinalCountdown

I have never understood how, given all the adverse health effects caused by alcohol and tobacco, pot was singled out for being illegal, considering it is no more harmful than the two before mentioned drugs. I think the main reason pot has been illegal is twofold; one, its an incredible biofuel, and two, it allows all the little labor units of the proletariat to start to think outside the box more than they might otherwise. Then of course if people have something to make life more bearable thats not sold to them by big pharma, thats a problem too. It stems from TPTB wanting to have total control over every aspect of our life. IF it became legal I would probably partake only occasionally, but it would be nice to have that option after a stressful day out in the rat race. And it should be my decision to make, not the govt that supposedly works for us. [

Timely thread OP, thanks for the glimmer of hope.

The other day my roommate and I were joking about growing marijuana. No, we're not going to, because yes it's still definitely illegal in Texas. But she was saying that they can fly a helicopter over your property, see the plants, and prosecute you from there.

I said if- in our hypothetical situation- something like that happened I would completely lose my sh*t! EVERY SINGLE TIME in my entire life I have gone to the police for help, they've only done two things: jack and squat. I'm talking the whole gambit- minor theft, property damage, up to assault and the authorities themselves breaking the law. It doesn't seem to matter how much evidence you have or how many witnesses. But you know darn well that if I grew a plant or two they would take me away from my kids, throw me in prison and seize all my assets.

Personally I think it should be an affirmative defense to said 'victimless crimes' that if you can prove that the police have never helped you before when you needed it, then they have to drop BS charges like this. I almost started my own thread about it, but here's this one and there's my theory on the matter.

I mean, if you're going to leave me to twist in the wind- then at least let me twist with a doobie! Lol!

a reply to: openminded2011

I think originally it (hemp) was targeted by the cotton industry because it was competition. But at this point it's marijuana v. big pharama marijuana v. alcohol and tobacco. It's always been about the almighty dollar- never about actual care and concern for the citizens.

Personally I think they should legalize all victimless crimes. If some fool wants to shoot up Draino, more power to him. That's called Darwinism. And if some nice lady wants to get paid to be 'extra' nice, well that's just good business!

Originally it was targeted by DuPont chemical because it conflicted with their newly won patent for making paper from wood pulp and nylon as competition to hemp fiber weaves.

Marijuana will never be decriminalized in the United States. Not in our lifetimes, anyway, as the government still makes way more money off of the nonsensical "War on Drugs" than any legalized industry ever could. Yeah, Colorado is making millions, but that's just a drop in a bucket already full of the blood and tears of CIA-backed foreign coups, installed dictators and underground trafficking the United States government has been doing the past century to help fill their coffers.

I'm doubtful this current trend in the few states as Colorado and Oregon of legalization will last long or spread much further before the federal government makes it's move to stomp it out. I would be pleased to be proven wrong, despite being a non-smoker myself.

originally posted by: FinalCountdown
a reply to: NihilistSanta

I think, thanks to tobacco backlash, that it won't matter.
I believe a employer can decide to not hire you if you smoke cigarettes.

If that is the case then there would be nothing to stop them from not hiring you for using marijuana.

Companies can pretty much make up their own rules. Unless you're a minority, handicapped or sexually something, then you cannot be discriminated for hiring.

I don't think, however, that they could require the drug test for something legal.

Eventually it will be untenable to prohibit employment based on something legal.

originally posted by: pheonix358
a reply to: TheLotLizard

The older generation were the ones that made it what is is today. Without them, it would not be anywhere near as popular.

The problem is not the people, it is the idiots in Politics

P

Nah, marijuana is quite popular in a LOT of countries. It's basically the most popular drug in the world after alcohol (excepting tobacco which isn't really an intoxicant in its normal form).

The "older generation" did NOT create several thousands of years of cannabis use across much of the world.

Just go to India dude. In parts of India most of the older generation smokes weed or hash, lol. Especially the priests!

a reply to: FinalCountdown

Here's the thing about that.

The fed is actually taking it's sweet time to legalize for a reason. Same reason as in Canada.

To allow the 'big players' to convert their existing operations, so they they can have the entire market, before the transition takes place.

Gov want Big Business to run this, not the little guy like you and me. It's a proverbial 'Green Rush' and the companies already involved in Tobacco for example, want their cut. Oh and Monsanto needs time to develop GMO strains of course.

This is good news though, at least on the the legislation pov.

~Tenth

originally posted by: InFriNiTee
a reply to: FinalCountdown

The only problems I see are these: What will it take to be able to independently grow the plant? I could imagine that if corporations are given exclusive rights to grow the plant and it is still illegal for individuals to grow it, that will create an unfair corporate control and the underground market will STILL exist. How could a person guarantee that the "corporate" grown plants are organic and pesticide free? A lot of people would just say that the organics would cost more (like organic food in the supermarket).

If it is legalized at all, they had better make it to where ANY person has the right to grow their own, and not have to purchase products that are laden with dangerous pesticides. Of course then the gov't won't be able to collect their taxes if people are allowed to grow it independently of the corporate "big boys".

It will be all bad if the corporations get control of it. At that point the underground market will still exist, because the people will not have to pay the hefty taxes on the "legal" corporation controlled plant if it is purchased through the underground. If they want to make it legal, they better make it to where anyone can grow it-much like tobacco is in most states.

In Alaska, which just passed a legalization measure, you can grow up to a certain amount in your home.

In California, my home state, it has almost always been true that those who have a medical license for it can grow it.

a reply to: FinalCountdown

What a great day!! First I wake up this morning able to legally partake, in Alaska. Then this! A lot of the backlash we are seeing in response the the will of the people is ridiculous. If the Feds actually get something right and pull this off, then a majority of people's arguements about it are null and void, at least locally.

This is great news and I really hope it passes. The entire process has been a long one that is now paying off. Keep educating people and it's only a matter of time before this money driven prohibition Is over.
It's a good day anyway, thank you for just that extra glimmer of hope added to it.

originally posted by: tothetenthpower
a reply to: FinalCountdown
To allow the 'big players' to convert their existing operations, so they they can have the entire market, before the transition takes place.

Gov want Big Business to run this, not the little guy like you and me. It's a proverbial 'Green Rush' and the companies already involved in Tobacco for example, want their cut. Oh and Monsanto needs time to develop GMO strains of course.

This is good news though, at least on the the legislation pov.

~Tenth

You have the wrong "big business". How about your Police and Corrections Officer's Unions? They stand to lose millions. No asset forfeiture, fewer people in jail, fewer cops and guards needed. It goes on and on.

Personally I refuse to support a law legalizing weed, unless it includes the release of people who are in jail for doing what the law now makes legal.

originally posted by: JIMC5499
Personally I refuse to support a law legalizing weed, unless it includes the release of people who are in jail for doing what the law now makes legal.

Didn't they do that in at least some of the states that have already legalized it? I haven't been following along too much. On a technicality they still broke the law, but as a rational person... It never should have been illegal in the first place. Hell, I say they should refund people all the money paid in related fines and bail, and maybe even throw a few dollars at people who lost valuable time spent in a holding cell when they could have been working if people weren't overly concerned with a stupid plant. But that's never going to happen.

I hope this passes. If the feds legalize it, even the stubborn states like mine (SC) will feel the pressure. Although apparently NC has been considering it, and we pretty much follow in their footsteps on things like this. This has gone on long enough... I smoked a lot of the stuff in my late teens and early 20s and I think I turned out alright. I originally quit for personal reasons, but if I didn't have fear of losing my job I'd like to partake on occasion. I think once legalized, companies would be obligated by logic to find ways to test "if you've smoked in the last couple hours" rather than the last few weeks.

Weed's sister, hemp... As in you cannot get high off this, is legal to grow in TN. My husband is set up to grow a crop this season (will be the first season since it was legalized). However, the freaking DEA is doing the same crap as they pulled in KY last year!!!!

Why the DEA should have anything at all to do with a plant that can't even make you high is lost to me.

Regarding the op, I'm all for legalization of all cannabis, psychoactive or not. The more I study the history, the hotter I get. It's such a racket.

Anyway, hoping the TN hemp situation gets squared away, we want to build the first hemp house in the state!

a reply to: Quetzalcoatl14

I'm meaning the generations born in the 30s and 40s.

They're the ones who still think the media is trustworthy and will vote anything in that the government tells them to just to be patriotic.