Majority of Americans want marijuana legalized

Jeanwah

...Says Zogby. Of course, it makes sense!!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/0 ... 98196.html

A majority of Americans, in a poll released Wednesday, say it "makes sense to tax and regulate" marijuana. The Zogby poll, commissioned by the conservative-leaning O'Leary Report, surveyed 3,937 voters and found 52 percent in favor of legalization. Only 37 percent opposed.

A previous ABC News/Washington Post poll found 46 percent in support. In California, a Field Poll found 56 percent backing legalization.

Responding to the poll at a press conference Tuesday, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called for an open debate on legalization.

Voters were asked: "Scarce law enforcement and prison resources, a desire to neutralize drug cartels and the need for new sources of revenue have resurrected the topic of legalizing marijuana. Proponents say it makes sense to tax and regulate the drug while opponents say that legalization would lead marijuana users to use other illegal drugs. Would you favor or oppose the government's effort to legalize marijuana?"

Bentleyspop

The regressives don't know what to do...

Majority of Americans approve of Gay marriage
Majority of americans want the legalization of marijuana
A large part of America is no longer religious and certainly not christian
and soon a majority of Americans are no long old white guys

CAVSTARR313

Bentleyspop wrote:

The regressives don't know what to do...

Majority of Americans approve of Gay marriage
Majority of americans want the legalization of marijuana
A large part of America is no longer religious and certainly not christian
and soon a majority of Americans are no long old white guys

I am gonna miss the old white guys they are so racist and funny

My 85 year old white grandma sees no problem with pot (she actually doesn't see much of anything anymore)..

Not all old white folks suck, just the ones with a shit ton of money it seams..

hedonist

Again with the old white guy schtik... !

Anyway (and again with my mistrust of polls!), most everyone I know is for having it legal and available. We're so far from the reefer madness mentality, I think.

I hope.

ryph raph

" opponents say that legalization would lead marijuana users to use other illegal drugs " Why aren't the potheads of America turning into heroin addicts ?

brianlux

"Old white guys." My old man is 92 and white and he can whoop any of you pencil neck punks!

Other than that wise crack, young whippersnapper Mr. Bentlyspop, I'm totally with you. :thumbup:

America, we're already real. Let's just get with it.

Thanks for posting it, Jeanwah!

know1

I have no problem with it being legal. I have a BIG problem with taxing it unless the government lowers taxes somewhere else.

know1

ryph raph wrote:

" opponents say that legalization would lead marijuana users to use other illegal drugs " Why aren't the potheads of America turning into heroin addicts ?

Some do. You have your head in the sand if you think otherwise.

Jason P

Washington and Colorado seem to be holding up so far. No riots, decay of society, or The Warriors scenerios seem to be playing out.

Obama, or should I call you King 'Choom ... do it.

mikepegg44

Jason P wrote:

Washington and Colorado seem to be holding up so far. No riots, decay of society, or The Warriors scenerios seem to be playing out.

Obama, or should I call you King 'Choom ... do it.

the college hockey team at Denver just fired the one of the more respected and winning coaches in College hockey history...I don't think it is a coincidence it happens shortly after it is legal to grow your own weed. I cannot think of any other reason to fire the best coach in college hockey other than the AD at Denver must have been high

gimmesometruth27

know1 wrote:

I have no problem with it being legal. I have a BIG problem with taxing it unless the government lowers taxes somewhere else.

why are you against taxing it?

they tax alcohol and cigarettes. why not weed as well?

what is the problem that conservatives have with the government taking in money?

seriously, they bitch about deficits, yet when the opportunity to bring in money to reduce deficits arises, they oppose it 100% of the time....

:fp:

gimmesometruth27

this is nice and all, but i can think of many resons why it will never be legalized.

the first one i can think of is that legalization would hurt the prison industrial complex too much. minor drug offenses have resulted in more americans being in prison than at any time in our history. privately run prisons stand to lose too much money if marijuana was decriminalized.

pandora

How come the smokers on national news are always stoners or old hippies?
Time to get mainstream out of the pot closet.

know1

gimmesometruth27 wrote:

know1 wrote:

I have no problem with it being legal. I have a BIG problem with taxing it unless the government lowers taxes somewhere else.

why are you against taxing it?

they tax alcohol and cigarettes. why not weed as well?

what is the problem that conservatives have with the government taking in money?

seriously, they bitch about deficits, yet when the opportunity to bring in money to reduce deficits arises, they oppose it 100% of the time....

:fp:

But where does it end? Why does the government need to keep taking more and more money away from the people? Is there a limit?

Citizens and businesses have to find ways to live within their own budgets. The government can just legislate more income and never has to cut anything.

My point is the pro-marijuana crowd likes to add "and they can tax it" as a way to justify it being legalized without really thinking about why the government would need to tax it. If anything the money and resources they won't have to spend enforcing it as a crime should be enough of a bonus to the government to satisfy it.

catefrances

know1 wrote:

gimmesometruth27 wrote:

know1 wrote:

I have no problem with it being legal. I have a BIG problem with taxing it unless the government lowers taxes somewhere else.

why are you against taxing it?

they tax alcohol and cigarettes. why not weed as well?

what is the problem that conservatives have with the government taking in money?

seriously, they bitch about deficits, yet when the opportunity to bring in money to reduce deficits arises, they oppose it 100% of the time....

:fp:

But where does it end? Why does the government need to keep taking more and more money away from the people? Is there a limit?

Citizens and businesses have to find ways to live within their own budgets. The government can just legislate more income and never has to cut anything.

My point is the pro-marijuana crowd likes to add "and they can tax it" as a way to justify it being legalized without really thinking about why the government would need to tax it. If anything the money and resources they won't have to spend enforcing it as a crime should be enough of a bonus to the government to satisfy it.

and how would they tax my plants growing behind the garage??? would they make growing marijuana illegal??? or would there need to be some sort of regulation squad going around checking on those registered growers to make sure they were paying their dues and not growing too many plants??? may as well try and regulate dandelions.

gimmesometruth27

catefrances wrote:

and how would they tax my plants growing behind the garage??? would they make growing marijuana illegal??? or would there need to be some sort of regulation squad going around checking on those registered growers to make sure they were paying their dues and not growing too many plants??? may as well try and regulate dandelions.

this is assuming everyone was growing their own stuff. most stoners i know are all about convenience. if they can walk down to a 7-11 or a head shop and get it rather than grow their own, they would.

i would think that they might limit the size of the field that you can use to grow it. if you grow it for personal use, you would only need a couple of plants. you would not need fields of it. i can see them restricting the size of the area that you use to grow it. that way people aren't tempted to grow acres of it to sell it.

Jason P

gimmesometruth27 wrote:

catefrances wrote:

and how would they tax my plants growing behind the garage??? would they make growing marijuana illegal??? or would there need to be some sort of regulation squad going around checking on those registered growers to make sure they were paying their dues and not growing too many plants??? may as well try and regulate dandelions.

this is assuming everyone was growing their own stuff. most stoners i know are all about convenience. if they can walk down to a 7-11 or a head shop and get it rather than grow their own, they would.

i would think that they might limit the size of the field that you can use to grow it. if you grow it for personal use, you would only need a couple of plants. you would not need fields of it. i can see them restricting the size of the area that you use to grow it. that way people aren't tempted to grow acres of it to sell it.

Growing plants is a pain in the ass (i.e. spider mites) ... or so I was told ... :angel:

catefrances

Jason P wrote:

gimmesometruth27 wrote:

catefrances wrote:

and how would they tax my plants growing behind the garage??? would they make growing marijuana illegal??? or would there need to be some sort of regulation squad going around checking on those registered growers to make sure they were paying their dues and not growing too many plants??? may as well try and regulate dandelions.

this is assuming everyone was growing their own stuff. most stoners i know are all about convenience. if they can walk down to a 7-11 or a head shop and get it rather than grow their own, they would.

i would think that they might limit the size of the field that you can use to grow it. if you grow it for personal use, you would only need a couple of plants. you would not need fields of it. i can see them restricting the size of the area that you use to grow it. that way people aren't tempted to grow acres of it to sell it.

Growing plants is a pain in the ass (i.e. spider mites) ... or so I was told ... :angel:

depends on your soil... or so i was told.

gimmesometruth27

you two crack me up!

catefrances

gimmesometruth27 wrote:

catefrances wrote:

and how would they tax my plants growing behind the garage??? would they make growing marijuana illegal??? or would there need to be some sort of regulation squad going around checking on those registered growers to make sure they were paying their dues and not growing too many plants??? may as well try and regulate dandelions.

this is assuming everyone was growing their own stuff. most stoners i know are all about convenience. if they can walk down to a 7-11 or a head shop and get it rather than grow their own, they would.

i would think that they might limit the size of the field that you can use to grow it. if you grow it for personal use, you would only need a couple of plants. you would not need fields of it. i can see them restricting the size of the area that you use to grow it. that way people aren't tempted to grow acres of it to sell it.

im not assuming everyones growing their own. i was just thinking that surely if they legalise it then youll be allowed to grow your own.. but then how do they regulate that. or do they just make growing your own illegal.. which imo is bullshit.. but thats where their control and regulation will come in. instead of GM monsanto mutant crops people can grow marijuana as a cash crop. itll be like wheat.. but i really cant see that happening tbh. and growing my own means im not forking out money to someone else to do what i can do. the south australian govt allowed its stoners to grow their own, then they changed the quantity allowable... which im thinking had a few people confused for a little bit.

hedonist

I wouldn't mind the taxing of it as a product sold (though not sure how the particulars would work) if our government wasn't so fucking inept in their spending and how they use our money to begin with.

(gimmie, I'm a fiscal conservative, so please stop using the 100% brush )

As to the gateway argument - yes, some do move on to bigger and better things, so to speak. But many don't. It's akin to making new cars have those ugly-ass backup sensors because relatively few people weren't paying attention, either as a pedestrian or as a driver.