simple green
Member
I'm going to admit I haven't read this whole thread. These threads eventually lead to a lot of personal mudslinging that has little to do with the intent of the original post ("you're stupid, you don't understand what the Constitution means, you misspelled a word idiot, your mom's ugly.....")
In response to the point made by the original poster....
Right now simple possession is putting people in jail, costing good people their freedom, costing the taxpayers money, and contributing to a negative relationship between many otherwise good law abiding citizens and police.
If marijuana was legalized, and it was done in such a way that just the big companies offered their government approved weed with heavy excise taxes, the hard core folks that currently risk their freedom to grow and enjoy the variety of marijuana God has graced the earth with could still do so illegally. If they're not scared off by the laws and consequences now, I don't see why it would be different if weed were legalized under a government/corporate structure.
I do suspect that legalization would eventually lessen the stigma and eventually the penalties of growing weed, and it would certainly make it safer to carry/consume after the fact....
It would be great if the government just straight up "freed the plant", but that's not going to just happen. Controlled legalization is a step towards and away from that at the same time, but has far more benefits then drawbacks, and allows people with medical issues and casual users to freely access it.
In response to the point made by the original poster....
Right now simple possession is putting people in jail, costing good people their freedom, costing the taxpayers money, and contributing to a negative relationship between many otherwise good law abiding citizens and police.
If marijuana was legalized, and it was done in such a way that just the big companies offered their government approved weed with heavy excise taxes, the hard core folks that currently risk their freedom to grow and enjoy the variety of marijuana God has graced the earth with could still do so illegally. If they're not scared off by the laws and consequences now, I don't see why it would be different if weed were legalized under a government/corporate structure.
I do suspect that legalization would eventually lessen the stigma and eventually the penalties of growing weed, and it would certainly make it safer to carry/consume after the fact....
It would be great if the government just straight up "freed the plant", but that's not going to just happen. Controlled legalization is a step towards and away from that at the same time, but has far more benefits then drawbacks, and allows people with medical issues and casual users to freely access it.