It's not going to happen in the next year or so but Marijuana may very well be legal in the next 5 years. With the legalization for marijuana for recreational use in Colorado and Washington State. the Feds have been forced to address the Federal ban on marijuana and how they will uphold the current law. Now some legislators are proposing bills to remove marijuana from the controlled substances list and set up the foundation for taxing legal marijuana.

Quote :

"Members of Congress will introduce between eight and 10 bills to roll back federal marijuana restrictions and levy new taxes. The first two were introduced this week by two liberal members of Congress. Reps. Jared Polis, D-Colo., and Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., on Monday rolled out a pair of bills that would legalize and tax marijuana at the federal level, while still allowing states to ban it."

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/02/pot-legalization-goes-federal/

Additionally, other states, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, now have legislative proposals to on the table to be introduced. The tide has definitely turned towards legalization and looks to be following the same trend that ended alcohol prohibition in 1933. Times are a changin'

2/11/2013 6:19:36 PM

With the first couple of dominos already down for this, it's only a matter of time before other state governments and the federal governments decide to get in on the cash. Feigned moral outrage is quickly erased by guaranteed easy money.

2/11/2013 8:06:04 PM

I've also been reading some recent developments that Mexico is considering legalizing mj. That would be a game changer.

Still, for America to succeed at this we have to get some R's to cosponsor this legislation at the state level first and for that to happen the Republican party has to fundamentally change. So how to influence that? I guess its time to brainstorm....

2/11/2013 8:27:07 PM

Would be genius if they passed this. So many benefits

2/12/2013 12:04:29 AM

If tobacco companies can get into the business, then republican politicians will quickly swing their vote. Big money talks.

2/12/2013 10:10:54 AM

Tobacco companies, beer companies, and companies that run private prisons are the big people opposed to it

2/12/2013 10:11:51 AM

I'm all for it. Wasting manpower and other resources fighting MJ is utterly retarded. Get with the times governments...

2/12/2013 10:15:56 AM

Federal employees and their unions are also against this.

2/12/2013 10:18:39 AM

Yeah, there's a lot of federal manpower that will not be needed if marijuana is legalized. Anything that threatens the jobs of federal union workers will be lobbied against vigorously by those groups. The entire law enforcement/judicial/penal system relies on drugs being illegal for a large portion of their business.

2/12/2013 10:28:42 AM

But...the unions! Workers rights...to put you in prison for possessing plant matter.

2/12/2013 11:05:26 AM

yea, I'm sure the cop unions are the only thing standing in marijuana's way

2/12/2013 11:26:25 AM

You're thinking of it incorrectly. When they legalize marijuana, they'll simply create a large, complex bureaucracy to regulate it and crack down on those who grow and sell it without proper licenses.

2/12/2013 11:49:43 AM

Quote :

"yea, I'm sure the cop unions are the only thing standing in marijuana's way "

I don't think anyone is saying it's the only thing, it's just a thing.

Quote :

"When they legalize marijuana, they'll simply create a large, complex bureaucracy to regulate it and crack down on those who grow and sell it without proper licenses."

That's exactly what will happen, just like with every other industry. That's why it's critical to get into the industry when it's new; whoever makes it to the top can then buy off politicians and ensure that any competitors are shut down.

[Edited on February 12, 2013 at 12:08 PM. Reason : ]

2/12/2013 12:06:47 PM

this is an interesting article about Marijuana use among tech workers in Silicon Valley

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-02-28/silicon-valley-is-high-on-innovation-dot-and-pot?campaign_id=bw.taboola.hp

3/5/2013 1:28:43 PM

is there anybody on here who is legitimately against ending marijuana prohibition?

[Edited on March 5, 2013 at 2:16 PM. Reason : V obviously there are nationally, meant on this board]

3/5/2013 2:07:19 PM

^umm.. yes.

3/5/2013 2:12:50 PM

just checking in to make sure that we're all against Stop and Frisk, regardless of our political leanings

and to restore some faith in humanity

6/25/2013 1:38:02 PM

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/08/health/gupta-changed-mind-marijuana/index.html

8/11/2013 8:34:27 PM

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/09/opinion/samuels-pot-addiction/index.html?hpt=op_t1

This guy with no medical degree that founded a drug rehab center and did no additional research seems to be trying to counter ^this by talking about lazy pot heads and having to explain to his grandson about why everyone thinks marijuana should be legal, when the author always told him that it was bad..



[Edited on August 11, 2013 at 10:40 PM. Reason : found it/.]

8/11/2013 10:36:50 PM

^so he thinks people should not go to jail for weed but he is against legalizing it? uhhh

8/12/2013 10:17:51 AM

this looks encouraging

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/holder-seeks-to-avert-mandatory-minimum-sentences-for-some-low-level-drug-offenders/2013/08/11/343850c2-012c-11e3-96a8-d3b921c0924a_story.html

8/12/2013 11:04:42 AM

decriminalization is a bad solution unless it is followed closely by legalization because it will strengthen demand. any supply done by criminal enterprises will grow from the increased demand.

you need to legalize it so that legal supply can grow to meet the legal (or less-illegal) demand

8/12/2013 11:08:19 AM

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/08/federal-judge-says-stop-and-frisk-violates-constitution/68222/

bout time

8/12/2013 12:08:29 PM

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/16/politics/new-jersey-medical-marijuana/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

8/16/2013 3:48:55 PM

I thought this was pretty cool.

http://blog.sfgate.com/hottopics/2013/08/14/police-to-hand-out-bags-of-doritos-at-seattles-mega-pot-festival/

Quote :

"So, will Seattle police respond by handing out tickets for displaying cannabis in public, for instance? That’s one of the new laws spelled out in I-502. Will their approach to the big pot fest change at all this year? Nope, said SPD spokesman Sean Whitcomb, but they will be handing out Doritos."

http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2012/11/09/marijwhatnow-a-guide-to-legal-marijuana-use-in-seattle/

[Edited on August 16, 2013 at 4:11 PM. Reason : :]

8/16/2013 4:10:01 PM

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/08/16/christie-eases-access-to-medical-marijuana-for-sick-children/?test=latestnews

8/16/2013 9:27:42 PM

I think this is going to steadily unravel now just like gay stuff.

let's see how the GOP reacts, haha. Hopefully they either get with the program, or fight the wrong side of social issues with renewed vigor, all the way to their extinction.

8/16/2013 9:56:43 PM

They could shut up all the not in my backyard whining about weed if they would only legalize it for home delivery distribution, and probably create some jobs at the same time.

8/16/2013 11:51:03 PM

Quote :

"I think this is going to steadily unravel now just like gay stuff. let's see how the GOP reacts, haha. Hopefully they either get with the program, or fight the wrong side of social issues with renewed vigor, all the way to their extinction."

8/17/2013 9:54:07 AM

If republican strategists were any smart they would make it "their" platform before the dems take it. Not like your standard republican voters would switch to the other party over something like this.

That's not going to happen though, because the anti-marijuana movement's deep roots in race-baiting and fear mongering are still proving useful in rallying the GOP base. As long as the generation that grew up with Reefer Madness is still alive nothing will change.

The dems could do much more though. Fuck both parties. They are both in terrible need of forward thinking anti-establishment types.

[Edited on August 18, 2013 at 12:03 AM. Reason : .]

8/17/2013 11:51:14 PM

^ Agreed on paragraph 1&3. On paragraph 2...The private prison lobby has a lot to do with it. They have funneled millions of dollars into harsher sentencing and stricter laws on drug and immigration charges. The GOP isn't one to turn down the all mighty dollar these days. Capitalism's finest.

I believe these are the two largest private detention corporations in America. These companies have grown dramatically in the last decade and are each bringing in $1,000,000,000+ (that's a billion) in revenues yearly:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrections_Corporation_of_America#Lobbying_efforts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GEO_Group#Public_relations

They're not going to let their revenue drop without a fight.

[Edited on August 19, 2013 at 11:19 AM. Reason : l]

8/19/2013 11:19:00 AM

Uraguay is the first country in the world to legalize, regulate, and provide marijuana to its citizens in an attempt to take power away from the cartels. I read they sell it for like $2.50 a gram.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/08/02/208096595/is-uruguays-marijuana-legalization-vote-a-tipping-point/

8/19/2013 1:02:08 PM

8/19/2013 3:01:33 PM

How to regulate pot when it's legal
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/27/opinion/nathan-pot-regulation/index.html?hpt=hp_t4

8/27/2013 11:32:36 AM

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/29/politics/holder-marijuana-laws/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Quote :

"Washington (CNN) -- The federal government won't try to block state laws in Colorado and Washington that legalized marijuana for recreational use, Attorney General Eric Holder announced Thursday. While federal law still makes the possession, production and sale of marijuana a crime, Holder's announcement means the Justice Department won't file lawsuits against state laws in Colorado and Washington that allow people to possess marijuana for personal use. Growing and selling marijuana remain illegal in those states. In addition, 18 states have either decriminalized or allowed medical marijuana in some fashion. While the state laws have allowed medical marijuana dispensaries to open, they remain illegal under federal law."

8/29/2013 1:50:06 PM

^^^ No way that's real

8/29/2013 2:32:41 PM

^^ they will still raid them. they made the same statements about california and have no problem raiding legal facilities there.

8/29/2013 3:33:46 PM

[Edited on October 3, 2013 at 9:53 AM. Reason : http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2010/11/drugs_cause_most_harm]

10/3/2013 9:51:54 AM

what's with the cannabis and tobacco harm to others ratings?

10/3/2013 9:57:11 AM

maybe second hand smoke for tobacco I guess? for weed its probably having to deal with the criminal element caused by prohibition and how unbelievably annoying stoners are.

10/3/2013 10:16:03 AM

LOL, i'm an idiot.

[Edited on October 3, 2013 at 11:41 AM. Reason : tobacco]

10/3/2013 11:40:46 AM

I read recently that venture capitalists had raised a million dollars in a short amount of time for CO grow operations. That's even with restrictive rules on investing (had to be a CO resident for 3 years before you're allowed to invest, etc). You gotta think that once big money like that starts to get thrown around, it's only a matter of time before more states start jumping on board

10/3/2013 12:09:51 PM

Quote :

"Tobacco companies, beer companies, and companies that run private prisons are the big people opposed to it"

Sometimes you really come across as one of the dumbest posters on this site.

10/3/2013 12:18:26 PM

^
uhh how is that dumb, at all? it's common knowledge that they lobby against legalization.

http://www.republicreport.org/2012/marijuana-lobby-illegal/

10/3/2013 12:54:06 PM

i didn't think anyone didn't realize that or i would have included a source link

10/3/2013 1:11:20 PM

yeah, i thought that was common knowledge.

10/3/2013 4:06:05 PM

Marijuana is safer than alcohol (duh)

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/22/opinion/riffle-marijuana-safety/index.html?iref=allsearch

10/22/2013 5:04:21 PM

also, this:

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/10/most-americans-cool-smoking-weed-gay-weddings/70810/

10/22/2013 5:20:44 PM

http://business.time.com/2014/01/04/colorados-pot-shops-say-theyll-be-sold-out-any-day-now/?hpt=hp_t3

1/8/2014 12:35:32 PM

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-january-7-2014/burn-notice---bill-o-reilly--marijuana---texting

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-january-7-2014/david-brooks-on-weed

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-january-7-2014/toker---hooch

[Edited on January 8, 2014 at 1:10 PM. Reason : maryjane]

1/8/2014 1:08:29 PM