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Planting the Seed for Legal Pot
Lawmakers consider bill to allow pot for pleasure
By JESSICA GREENE
Updated 10:28 AM PST, Tue, Jan 12, 2010

The first step to legalize marijuana in California could happen Tuesday.

Lawmakers will vote on Assembly Bill 390 -- legislation to tax and regulate marijuana. The assembly's Public Safety Committee is expected to vote after a hearing that begins at 9 a.m. hearing in Sacramento.

The bill, authored by San Francisco Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, would essentially treat pot the same way alcohol is treated under the law and would allow adults over 21 to possess, smoke and grow marijuana.

The law would also call for a fee of $50 per ounce sold and would help fund drug eradication and awareness programs. It could help pull California out of debt, supporters say, raising up to $990 million from the fees.

Among the supporters of legalizing marijuana is a group of police, judges and prosecutors who formed a group called Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. The organization firmly believes that legalizing marijuana for adults will help improve American society by restricting youth access to it and taking the attraction away from cartels that traffic pot as an illegal substance.

"The mere fact that there will be votes in the Assembly to regulate and control the sale and distribution of marijuana would have been unthinkable even one year ago." Retired Orange County California Supreme Court Judge Jim Gray said via a statement from the group. "And if the bill doesn't pass this year, it will soon. Or, the bill will be irrelevant because the voters will have passed the measure to regulate and tax marijuana that will be on the ballot this November."

Gray testified before the assembly's informational hearing in October 2009 and defined the group's position about why they are for overturning the prohibition on marijuana.
This is the first time in U.S. history any state legislative body has ever considered repealing marijuana prohibition, which has been in place since 1913.

Source: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/politics ... 22877.html

**Forgot how to embed, so here is the video link. http://www.youtube.com/v/RDKarCeC_Ic

Discuss

Legalization of marijuana, in my opinion, is inevitable in California.

Techno wrote:Legalization of marijuana, in my opinion, is inevitable in California.

I hope so, however everyone from the hippie movement in the 60s thought pot would be legalized in a few years. That never happened. Then in the 80s president Reagan, who is quoted say "I believe marijuana is the most dangerous drug to our children today." (Possibly one of the dumbest comments ever made) went Nazi on pot as well as every other drug with his "war on drugs." which set the legalization back even further. So I really don't know. I hope that it becomes legal and regulated on a federal level, but who knows.

I'm doubtful but optimistic of this. Either way, some shit is about to go down in America!

It passed committee. It now has to pass the general Assembly, and then the Governator has to sign off on it.

It should be plainly obvious where I stand on this.

TheRealOne wrote:The law would also call for a fee of $50 per ounce sold and would help fund drug eradication and awareness programs.

That's... pretty steep.

Wow. I knew it was coming, but didn't think it'd be this soon. I'm definitely in support because more state funding ought to translate nicely to funding for California's education system, and otherwise help California out with its budget crisis. On the other hand, I am not looking forward to smelling pot everywhere I go.
Bums will probably be more tolerable, though.

Tsukatu wrote: Bums will probably be more tolerable, though.

Or more persistent, now that they have multiple cravings to satisfy.

Marijuana definitely is the shit.

I'm against this in the way that I'm against the government in general. I love pot as much as the next admin, and part of its charm is its outlaw nature. I'd probably go out of my way to buy from sketchy untaxed dealers anyways.

SlappyMcGee wrote:I love pot as much as the next admin, and part of its charm is its outlaw nature.

But surely legalization is better than non-malicious people going to jail or having to pay large sums of money?

Skyling wrote:

SlappyMcGee wrote:I love pot as much as the next admin, and part of its charm is its outlaw nature.

But surely legalization is better than non-malicious people going to jail or having to pay large sums of money?

Well, certainly stricter gun registration laws are better than children shooting other children in the face!

SlappyMcGee wrote:

Skyling wrote:

SlappyMcGee wrote:I love pot as much as the next admin, and part of its charm is its outlaw nature.

But surely legalization is better than non-malicious people going to jail or having to pay large sums of money?

Well, certainly stricter gun registration laws are better than children shooting other children in the face!

Wait, what?

I mean, no. No, yeah. Yeah, that's right.

SlappyMcGee wrote:I'm against this in the way that I'm against the government in general. I love pot as much as the next admin, and part of its charm is its outlaw nature. I'd probably go out of my way to buy from sketchy untaxed dealers anyways.

You could consider it an opportunity to be adventurous! Why not give ecstacy or mushrooms a try?

scythe33 wrote:

SlappyMcGee wrote:I'm against this in the way that I'm against the government in general. I love pot as much as the next admin, and part of its charm is its outlaw nature. I'd probably go out of my way to buy from sketchy untaxed dealers anyways.

You could consider it an opportunity to be adventurous! Why not give ecstacy or mushrooms a try?

So, in sum, legalizing pot will make me try mushrooms.

If that isn't a gateway argument, I don't know what is.

DemonzLunchBreak wrote:Well, your individual decision is hardly statistically significant.

Took the words right out of my mouth.
Slappy is by no means most people.

Also, I was kidding. I forgot that this was the Leave Humor at the Door Forum.

SlappyMcGee wrote:I forgot that this was the Leave Humor at the Door Forum.

Aw, nuts, it's official. I'm outta here.

DemonzLunchBreak wrote:

SlappyMcGee wrote:Also, I was kidding. I forgot that this was the Leave Humor at the Door Forum.

Really, though, if people (people being me) can't tell that you're being facetious, then it's maybe not worth it. Humor is fine, just not humor that people might confuse for a debatey statement.

Well, your individual misunderstanding is hardly statistically significant.

rennaT wrote:

DemonzLunchBreak wrote:

SlappyMcGee wrote:Also, I was kidding. I forgot that this was the Leave Humor at the Door Forum.

Really, though, if people (people being me) can't tell that you're being facetious, then it's maybe not worth it. Humor is fine, just not humor that people might confuse for a debatey statement.

Well, your individual misunderstanding is hardly statistically significant.

Yeah, put that in your pipe and smoke it.

scythe33 wrote:Yeah, put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Lest this degenerate let me just say that Demonz is my dude and that I feel like scythe33's comment wasn't necessary.

rennaT wrote:

scythe33 wrote:Yeah, put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Lest this degenerate let me just say that Demonz is my dude and that I feel like scythe33's comment wasn't necessary.

Your individual opinion is hardly statistically sig-- fuck it.

I haven't heard much about this, so just to make sure I heard you right, in short your saying that, 'because the government needs money it will sell high inducing drugs?'

beethoveN wrote:'because the government needs money it will sell high inducing drugs?'

The worst kind of drugs!

...but yes.

The US has only been out of debt for one day in the entire history of the country. They should probably be shooting for something a little lower.