The Great Green Debate

[Whiskey_Clear]

Dui from marijuana is the biggest problem with legalizing it IMO. Most agree dope causes unsafe driver condition. You can be charged with DUI marijuana in all 50 states but the laws in each vary greatly concerning it. In some states having any amount in your system can be charged, in others I believe unsafe driving acts must also be present.

The science behind the laws is much less determined than it is for alcohol. .08 blood alcohol content is standard (over 21 years of age) for DUI alcohol even if there are no unsafe acts. I don't believe there are any similar standards for THC. Can we get to a set standard? If we did so with alcohol we should be able to eventually. But the only accurate way to measure THC (to my knowledge) is through a blood test currently, which creates other difficulties of enforcement etc.

So IMO there is a lot of work to do regarding marijuana and related DUIs before it can simply be legalized. Once that is done....legalize away.

 

[BuzzStone]

Dui from marijuana is the biggest problem with legalizing it IMO. Most agree dope causes unsafe driver condition. You can be charged with DUI marijuana in all 50 states but the laws in each vary greatly concerning it. In some states having any amount in your system can be charged, in others I believe unsafe driving acts must also be present.

The science behind the laws is much less determined than it is for alcohol. .08 blood alcohol content is standard (over 21 years of age) for DUI alcohol even if there are no unsafe acts. I don't believe there are any similar standards for THC. Can we get to a set standard? If we did so with alcohol we should be able to eventually. But the only accurate way to measure THC (to my knowledge) is through a blood test currently, which creates other difficulties of enforcement etc.

So IMO there is a lot of work to do regarding marijuana and related DUIs before it can simply be legalized. Once that is done....legalize away.

This is easily solved, self driving cars.

Get that done and you can smoke and drink riding down the road for all I care.

 

[MWBATL]

Ok every time the weed subject gets brought up people say to take it to the lounge, so that's what I am doing here.
I am pretty strongly a pro-marijuana guy in favor of legalization, or at the very least decriminalization, and I am curious what is driving the opinions of the anti- crowd. To me, it's a product less harmful than both alcohol and tobacco with some proven medicinal uses. What is the compelling reason it should stay illegal (beyond "because it's already illegal")?

My goodness, man, haven't you seen "Reefer Madness"? Mary Jane is a gateway drug, don't ya know? Hide the women and children...legalize marijuana indeed! And get off my lawn!!

 

[JacketFromUGA]

https://theintercept.com/2016/09/14/beer-pot-ballot/

Drug fight!

 

[JorgeJonas]

Legalize and tax the hell out of it. Same with all drugs.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

Don't get too carried away with the "tax" it big idea. It's very easy to grow privately and I anticipate this will be done quite a bit upon legalization......sorry Phillip Morris....I don't see huge pot revenues for ya.

 

[awbuzz]

I think most normal people are all for it being legal...

Guess I am not most... So I disagree... At least for use that is not medical related, ex. Nausea due to cancer treatment, those with true documented physical problems. JMO

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Don't get too carried away with the "tax" it big idea. It's very easy to grow privately and I anticipate this will be done quite a bit upon legalization......sorry Phillip Morris....I don't see huge pot revenues for ya.

Well, the tax revenues would be huge according to what I have read. As for growing your own, they said essentially the same about what would happen once prohibition ended but what was discovered was that bathtub gin and moonshine weren't worth the trouble for most people since the commercial variety was more convenient and usually much better quality. So those who choose to grow their own will not dent the market too much.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Guess I am not most... So I disagree...

As Ludlow Porch used to say, "Your opinion is the only one you are entitled to."

 

[BuzzStone]

Guess I am not most... So I disagree... At least for use that is not medical related, ex. Nausea due to cancer treatment, those with true documented physical problems. JMO

I appreciate that response however I am all for individual freedom so why should i get to tell another adult what to do? This is a huge problem with what I consider the right wing, in my conversations with right wing supporters is they are all for freedom as long as you think the way they do.

 

[jwsavhGT]

I appreciate that response however I am all for individual freedom so why should i get to tell another adult what to do? This is a huge problem with what I consider the right wing, in my conversations with right wing supporters is they are all for freedom as long as you think the way they do.

In my conversations with left wing supporters (brother & sister-in-law) they are all for freedom as long as you think like them.
I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder.

 

[awbuzz]

As soon as someone's actions increase the likelihood of affecting my family/friends/others in an adverse fashion, we have the right to set limits to what is acceptable.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

Well, the tax revenues would be huge according to what I have read. As for growing your own, they said essentially the same about what would happen once prohibition ended but what was discovered was that bathtub gin and moonshine weren't worth the trouble for most people since the commercial variety was more convenient and usually much better quality. So those who choose to grow their own will not dent the market too much.

Growing weed is far easier than running a still or brewery. Growing potent weed is easy too. Hell its easier than growing tobacco.

 

[JacketFromUGA]

As soon as someone's actions increase the likelihood of affecting my family/friends/others in an adverse fashion, we have the right to set limits to what is acceptable.

I used the same argument about some simple gun registrations and was told that laws are useless because criminals don't follow them.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

As soon as someone's actions increase the likelihood of affecting my family/friends/others in an adverse fashion, we have the right to set limits to what is acceptable.

Thus the need to standardize marijuana DUI laws prior to legalization.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

I used the same argument about some simple gun registrations and was told that laws are useless because criminals don't follow them.

Criminalizing pot doesn't endanger your family.....banning guns would endanger mine by preventing adequate self defense.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

Once DUI for pot is settled legally, standards etc.....I'm fine to legalize it. Companies should be free to fire / not hire employees for use though.

Would the pot legalization crowd also favor legalizing coke, heroin, opioids, and pcp etc? I think pot is quite a bit different than those others but many disagree.

 

[JacketFromUGA]

Criminalizing pot doesn't endanger your family.....banning guns would endanger mine by preventing adequate self defense.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

Lol @JacketFromUGA is that your best counter?

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Growing weed is far easier than running a still or brewery. Growing potent weed is easy too. Hell its easier than growing tobacco.

You are not entirely wrong about that, however, there is data from Colorado which is showing a decrease in "illegal" pot use now that legalization has been in effect. Indeed, I think there are those who, for various reasons, will prefer to grow their own but this will not seriously impact tax revenue.