quote:

ORIGINAL: bossman777
Not only are you an asshole if you still think pot should be illegal, but you have NO respect for principles of individual liberty that made this nation strong and no clue as to what prohibition does to breed corruption, create organized crime, and destroy families, careers, reputations, and innovations. The very idea of destroying people to keep them from destroying themselves is insane.

quote:

ORIGINAL: SadistDave

Well, for one thing... if pot were legalized it would become more expensive. Legal things are taxable things, and when you consider the cost of pot and factor in the basic tax on cigarettes, you're looking at a considerable increase in the cost of the product. In nanny states like New York there would have to be a black market for the stuff just to keep it affordable. At that point anyone dealing dope is not only dealing a controlled substance, but they are tax evaders as well based on established law.

Then there's the issue of quality. With legalization comes state control of the substance, it's growth, and it's distribution. The government will not just legalize something willy-nilly if they cannot control it's production and distribution. Short of a worldwide legalization on pot, the government would still be obliged to make arrests for smuggling it into the country due to treaties and plain old fashioned self-interest. Since growing it would probably be legalized and heavily regulated (at least for commercial growers) the demand for imported product would fall because local variants would be easily obtainable. One need only look at the importation bans placed on absinthe in the early 20th century to see how this works.

Absinthe contains a mild (extremely mild) poison and hallucinogen called Thujone. The Thujone content in absinthe comes from Grand Wormwood, and in it's hayday absinthes contained anywhere from 5-25 ppm (parts per million) of the stuff. In order to control the availability of absinthe, the government banned the importation of any absinthe that exceeded 10 ppm of Thujone in spite of the fact that Thujone is also found in Sage, which is one of the most common cooking spices in the country. But breakfast sausage is not generally considered to be a recreational drug, so Sage never developed the reputation that Grand Wormwood has.

In the event of a national legalization of marijuana, the government will simply make every effort to control THC levels in the commercial stock, and make everything else either so expensive as to be unobtainable or illegal due to it exceeding controlled levels.

If you want to not be thrown in jail for smoking pot, this is what it will cost you...

-SD-

quote:

ORIGINAL: SadistDave

Well, for one thing... if pot were legalized it would become more expensive. Legal things are taxable things, and when you consider the cost of pot and factor in the basic tax on cigarettes, you're looking at a considerable increase in the cost of the product. In nanny states like New York there would have to be a black market for the stuff just to keep it affordable. At that point anyone dealing dope is not only dealing a controlled substance, but they are tax evaders as well based on established law.

Then there's the issue of quality. With legalization comes state control of the substance, it's growth, and it's distribution. The government will not just legalize something willy-nilly if they cannot control it's production and distribution. Short of a worldwide legalization on pot, the government would still be obliged to make arrests for smuggling it into the country due to treaties and plain old fashioned self-interest. Since growing it would probably be legalized and heavily regulated (at least for commercial growers) the demand for imported product would fall because local variants would be easily obtainable. One need only look at the importation bans placed on absinthe in the early 20th century to see how this works.

Absinthe contains a mild (extremely mild) poison and hallucinogen called Thujone. The Thujone content in absinthe comes from Grand Wormwood, and in it's hayday absinthes contained anywhere from 5-25 ppm (parts per million) of the stuff. In order to control the availability of absinthe, the government banned the importation of any absinthe that exceeded 10 ppm of Thujone in spite of the fact that Thujone is also found in Sage, which is one of the most common cooking spices in the country. But breakfast sausage is not generally considered to be a recreational drug, so Sage never developed the reputation that Grand Wormwood has.

In the event of a national legalization of marijuana, the government will simply make every effort to control THC levels in the commercial stock, and make everything else either so expensive as to be unobtainable or illegal due to it exceeding controlled levels.

If you want to not be thrown in jail for smoking pot, this is what it will cost you...

-SD-

quote:

ORIGINAL: epiphiny43

quote:

ORIGINAL: bossman777
The very idea of destroying people to keep them from destroying themselves is insane.

THIS! People get over 'recreational drugs. They don't get over what the 'Justice System' does to them.
To date, The War on Drugs has made America the most imprisoned society on the planet, possibly ever; corrupted every level of government in the Western Hemisphere if not the planet; and made pot cost more than gold. Heroin prices continue to decline and the actually dangerous coke, ice and the new designer drugs are cheap and available in every school, bar and neighborhood in the nation. There may be More drugs cheaper in the prisons housing all those being taught drugs are a bad idea.

quote:

ORIGINAL: wittynamehere

quote:

ORIGINAL: WebWanderer
One of the things he doesn't mention in the article is so-called "contact high."

That's because it's a myth.
It's also because he understands that legalizing something doesn't legalize blowing it in other people's faces, or smoking in their house against their permission, even if you COULD get high from smelling the smoke.

quote:

ORIGINAL: SadistDave

Well, for one thing... if pot were legalized it would become more expensive.

Any validation for this opinion?





Legal things are taxable things,

It is legal to breath air is that taxable?


and when you consider the cost of pot and factor in the basic tax on cigarettes, you're looking at a considerable increase in the cost of the product.

A carton of lucky strike is about 70 dollars that is 200 cigs.
An ounce of "top shelf" canibis in a medical marijuana shop in california will cost about 500 dollars. the reason being is that they are selling a controlled substance and they can charge what they please. Their tax liability is on their license and not on their sales.
If it is legalized there is no way for them to stay in business unless they lower their prices to compete with tomatoes and bell pepers. Good pot just is not that difficult to grow.
A person can grow all they need in the closet of their house for about 100 dollars a pound.

In nanny states like New York there would have to be a black market for the stuff just to keep it affordable.




At that point anyone dealing dope is not only dealing a controlled substance, but they are tax evaders as well based on established law.


If it is legal it is no longer a controlled substance and as long as the dealer pays his taxes there is no issue.

Then there's the issue of quality. With legalization comes state control of the substance, it's growth, and it's distribution.

This assumes facts not in evidence.
Does the state control the growth of roses,tomatoes,cabbage?
Does the state control the distribution of roses,tomatoes etc?
Does the state control the quality of roses .....?


The government will not just legalize something willy-nilly if they cannot control it's production and distribution.

Assumes facts not in evidence.


Short of a worldwide legalization on pot, the government would still be obliged to make arrests for smuggling it into the country due to treaties and plain old fashioned self-interest.

How does one arrest someone for smugling something into a country that is legal?


Since growing it would probably be legalized and heavily regulated (at least for commercial growers)

Now they just charge you a fee for the license. They do not care if you grow indoors or out. They do not care if you are organic or chemical fertilizer.
They dont care if you use bio or chemical pesticides
So far they only seem to care about the money.

(in reply to SadistDave)