78 Million Americans Now Live in States with Legal Recreational Marijuana

[Tudo]

11/15/2018

Advocates for marijuana legalization won another victory this year as voters in Michigan voted to approve legalization of recreational marijuana in last week's election.
This comes only a month after Canada finalized its legalization of recreational marijuana, making it only the second...

Advocates for marijuana legalization won another victory this year as voters in Michigan voted to approve legalization of recreational marijuana in last week's election.
This comes only a month after Canada finalized its legalization of recreational marijuana, making it only the second country where the national government has legalized nationwide recreational use.
Nevertheless, with the addition of Michigan to the eight other states that have legalized recreational marijuana (not counting the District of Columbia), 78 million Americans now live in jurisdictions where it's been legalized.




Were these states to form their own country, it would be the nineteenth largest country in the world — larger than the United Kingdom and France.
This new reality has already made itself felt in federal policy.
In 2017, Congress voted to deny the Justice Department funds to enforce federal laws against medicinal marijuana.
And when now-outgoing US Attorney General Sessions announced plans to crack down on marijuana use that had already been legalized at the state level, he received bipartisan opposition in Congress. Not even republicans in Congress from pro-legalization states want anything to do with a ratcheting up of the Drug War.
Also pending in Washington is the "Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act" which, is essentially a "states' rights" bill supported by both parties in the name of reining in the drug war. Its purpose is to recognize what the Tenth Amendment already makes clear: that the federal government has no authority to dictate to states as to what people can eat or smoke.
One shouldn't expect many politicians to apply this philosophy across the board, although recognizing the importance of decentralization in the Drug War is a good first step.
Trump has suggested he will support the bill.
Illinois and New Hampshire may be next on the list for legalization, perhaps in 2020.
https://mises.org/power-market/78-million-americans-now-live-states-legal-recreational-marijuana

 

[Traceofvenom]

Oklahoma recently just went medical. Can you believe that shit! One of the most conservative states of the union. I thought Oklahoma would be the last to legalize. However, when it was put on the ballot SQ 788 passed overwhelmingly. So for any of you that think the impossible wont happen just hang tight because it's not far away. It is the will of the people that get this shit moved through so get off your ass and Green the Vote when the occasion arrises.

Peace

 

[Guest]

But even if the 78 million all wanted to millions of them still face potential job loss because the fucked up law that lets employers fire people for cannabis use. And millions should not have to make a choice between a good job or smoking.

 

[Traceofvenom]

But even if the 78 million all wanted to millions of them still face potential job loss because the fucked up law that lets employers fire people for cannabis use. And millions should not have to make a choice between a good job or smoking.

Same thing with conceal and carry. At least in Oklahoma. You can't have both. It's so fucking stupid. It's not like an air traffic controller is gonna take a few rips of the dank and clock in for work.

 

[Klompen]

I wish moving to one of those places was an option. Not having access to cannabis here has had serious negative impact on my health. I'm so tired of prohibition. I feel bad for those old-timers who have been struggling with it for decades.

 

[Drewsif]

I wish moving to one of those places was an option. Not having access to cannabis here has had serious negative impact on my health. I'm so tired of prohibition. I feel bad for those old-timers who have been struggling with it for decades.

Every week i hear of someone in there 50s-70s getting busted for growing in states with mmj programs that only allow 3 plants, or no growing with 25 miles of a dispensary. I just want to grow outside again. Without spending all day creeping up and down the hill.

We aren't free until every adult in the country can have a Cannabis garden, without being an international corporation. Who cares about retail, i dont want to smoke garbage weed, but I feel grow rights will always be heavily restricted. Even in Cali i have to put my trust in some corporations infested clones, since i cant pheno hunt with 6 plant limit. And all the big timer who claim they have roots were in it for the money. Nothing worse than career drug pushers bragging about their now legal empires on Instagram, while individuals are still goin to jail. Its bullshit.

 

[Klompen]

I mirror your frustration. I mean, on one hand its great to see all this stuff out in the open in places and not causing the madness and addiction that was claimed in order to outlaw it in the first place. In that sense, legalization is a huge success. I hope that success spreads, but I also know that here I am feeling like I'm dying since I've had to quit and I keep having to push back my plans to grow because I can't just do it wherever I want even on my own property. I've been really frustrated with the many delays in getting my new place ready and I'll be lucky at this rate if I get a crop in by next June. I can't go to a dispensary or risk trying to make criminal contacts just to get my medicine. It makes me deeply angry with the system, and the public that ate up the drug war nonsense for decades and the portion of it that still does. It needs to be free to grow and use and prohibition needs to be completely halted via a constitutional amendment the way that prohibition of alcohol was. Its so crazy that something as problematic as alcohol is constitutionally protected and use of something as beneficial as cannabis is still so controversial and dangerous. It has to end. I'm tired of hiding.

 

[EastFortRock]

Before it went legal here in Oregon, some one put a glass pipe in my sons glove box. He was pulled over for another reason and when he reached in the box for registration the cop ticketed him for possession. 500 dollar fine reduced to 200. I was cleaning out my car and found my friend’s pipe that he lost and didn’t know where it was. No worries now and the cops can’t bust inside a house because they smell weed. Legalization is better, even though there is still a lot of oppression, like drug testing and stupid grow laws.

 

[Traceofvenom]

@ EFR

Yeah, ya stay inside the guidelines play by the rules and shizamm you can grow weed in peace! Having a patients license in Oklahoma gets you 6 and 6 mature/clones. You can have a lot of fun with that and get insane yields with some finesse and technique. As long as I can grow within these limits I will take advantage of that. No paranoia totally legit. Hell yeah! Here is a gem I just plucked!

Peace

 

[Klompen]

Beautiful plant. Honestly I'd settle for brick weed at the moment.

 

[Traceofvenom]

Beautiful plant. Honestly I'd settle for brick weed at the moment.

Damn son. That's gettin pretty hungry!

 

[Klompen]

Damn son. That's gettin pretty hungry!

Brick can sometimes be pretty good, but yes, the desperation is growing lol