will it ever be decriminalized?

[flyingimam]

Do u think personal possession/consumption of marijuana (and not any other drugs) for recreational and/or medical purposes will be decriminalized/tolerated legally within the next 5 to 7 years? (i dont mean legalized, but turned into something like a civil matter such as traffic violation)

how about growing for the same purpose?

if u dont mind, please state your opinion along with reasons

[SouthernGuerilla]

sorry man, theres too much money involved for the man to close this bank account..

between that, the stigmas and bass ackwards propaganda driven by the govt. NO! :(

Look at the lack of supporters for the two cannabis related bills introduced by Ron Paul / Barny Frank.

[Mcnizzlebery]

Soon the medical states will overwhelm the feds and they wont have any choice. The fear is dissipating and the truth is becoming clear. A lot of work ahead but i predict within the next 5-10 years it will be legal with the exception of driving on it. And they will try to put a tax or ban on growing your own but that will eventually get overwhelmed and will have growing legal too. There is no stopping the truth. The ball is rolling.

[MIDNIGHTspecial]

there are too many people making too much money off of cannabis being illegal for it to be realistic to see any legalization in the near future.:(

[theforthdrive]

Soon the medical states will overwhelm the feds and they wont have any choice. The fear is dissipating and the truth is becoming clear. A lot of work ahead but i predict within the next 5-10 years it will be legal with the exception of driving on it. And they will try to put a tax or ban on growing your own but that will eventually get overwhelmed and will have growing legal too. There is no stopping the truth. The ball is rolling.

i love your idealistic view of the world! man, if it were only that easy! how are states overwhelming the feds? I dont see this! seems to me that states (cali) complain about it, but never really stand up to them. they could refuse to lend support in the raids. but doesnt happen...local and feds work together and the local guys just play the good cop roll in the good cop/ bad cop game. where is the fear waning and truth shining thru? media still reads the bust stories like its a evil scourge of the world! How is there no stopping the truth? history is written by the winners. and the ball has been rolling since the 60's and not sure its even picking up steam!

I honestly believe that the only way this will get done is if a state stands up and really challenges for states rights! It would have to get to an almost civil war type of stand off. The bigger issue here is states rights... overall, states dont get passed over an many issues other than MMJ. and I highly doubt the broke state of cali would risk losing federal dollars over MMJ. The US civil war was less about slavery and more about economic freedoms that states wanted. do you really think that a group of states is going to get together and use MMJ as a platform to fight back the feds?

how that sounded so negative for something I care for so much and want to come true. :( well, on the bright side if genies are real and I find one Ill take on for the team and use one of my wishes for us!

[trancefusion5]

It alread is decriminalized in Mississippi up to an oz. i believe. Im sure in other states too if MS did it. You will still get your stash takin and get a ticket but they wont arrest you just for having it.

[flyingimam]

its a simple matter for states to keep their mouth shut, at least be happy they mumble somethin to feds.

states get money from the fed, biiiiiig money. so why would u complain in a tough manner? just to see your share cut down in comparison to other 49 who keep silent?

this is a matter that can only be solved by massive public pressure and can only be solved @ congress/executive order levels, not local. our problem is a FEDERAL agency called DEA, they simply just dont care about your state given rights in violation of their bread n butter federal rules:(

[Reefer Rogue]

I think it'll take a minimum of a Q of a century at least. Realistically though, i'd say 50 years or 100.. Hope i'm wrong, hope i'm wrong, but i'll still be blazing somehow, or inside a cell writing a book.

[Euphoric7]

Decriminalized? Yes.
Legal? Not a chance.

[justastoner]

i agree, pot will never be legal.

the whole idea about medical marijuana is really a joke, we all know it. there might be a few things marijuana can somewhat make you feel better about but its mainly for people who just want to get stoned (im in that group as a med mj patient) and the lists I see spam'd on here for pot helping all sorts of things is crazy. there is NO PROOF, just saying it 'might' help. well aspirin might help too.

sure we like to get stoned, so just admit it rather than perpetuate sum fantasy.

[Euphoric7]

I have to almost totally disagree with the last post. MMJ DOES help people with certain conditions that other medication just can't (and without godawful side effects).

[sacredplant]

It depends on how vicious the US president is at the time, I can see it going back and forth.

The reason I say that is pot already was decriminalized here in canada and would have stayed that way if marc emery hadn't done his "summer of legalization" rally thing.
He brought to much attention to it and pissed off the DEA, and now its back to being illegal.

If it were decriminalized again and everyone just acted cool about it I think it would stay for a while...in Canada anyways.

[SouthernGuerilla]

It depends on how vicious the US president is at the time, I can see it going back and forth.

The reason I say that is pot already was decriminalized here in canada and would have stayed that way if marc emery hadn't done his "summer of legalization" rally thing.
He brought to much attention to it and pissed off the DEA, and now its back to being illegal.

If it were decriminalized again and everyone just acted cool about it I think it would stay for a while...in Canada anyways.

The Cheech and Chong stoners need to stay out of it. Getting it decriminalized or legal is ONLY going to happen for "medical" use. Responsible adults.

Too many bad stigmas and propanga, that and the drug trade is very profitable for the so called black market.

Shortly after 9/11 cops took a slightly more slanted view on all illegal drugs including cannabis, as most were told that terrorists gained most or all of their money from selling and producing drugs. Around here it's common knowledge for most insiders that local police departments and sheriffs take money from dope dealers. In turn they don't get busted as long as they pay the man and they're protected from rival dealers / gangs and outside authorities to a certain extent. Street cops are not allowed to go into known drug areas. They're told that certain areas are off limits and narcotics officers have these restricted areas under watch. Narcs mostly bust users and occasionally bust someone with weight who's trying to enter the established market or some other way pissed someone off.

As with anything illegal or taboo, a certain type of people are going to be attracted to it and control it. Self proclaimed bad asses if you'd like to say.

If everyone grew their own smoke and kept their illegal hobby a secret, going as far as to letting everyone believe you don't smoke or do anything remotely illegal. The cannabis world would be rastafied :D

Though most people I know who smoke abuse cannabis, daily smokers with no other problem other than being lazy, lack drive, and or low life trash. There are the few who don't abuse and smoke daily, to help them medically either suggested, prescribed or self medicated. From helping with muscle spasms to insomnia.


CYA, cover your ass. Keep your cannabis business classified. Rejoice when it is legal. :greenthumb:

[Dutch Pimp]

Though most people I know who smoke abuse cannabis, daily smokers with no other problem other than being lazy, lack drive, and or low life trash.

I only know one person like that?.....me....:rastabanna:...but that "lack drive" is a shot thru the heart...;)

[SouthernGuerilla]

I only know one person like that?.....me....:rastabanna:...but that "lack drive" is a shot thru the heart...;)

yeah couch lock sucks, doesn't it :D

[livingfree8]

i agree, pot will never be legal.

the whole idea about medical marijuana is really a joke, we all know it. there might be a few things marijuana can somewhat make you feel better about but its mainly for people who just want to get stoned (im in that group as a med mj patient) and the lists I see spam'd on here for pot helping all sorts of things is crazy. there is NO PROOF, just saying it 'might' help. well aspirin might help too.

sure we like to get stoned, so just admit it rather than perpetuate sum fantasy.

I HIGHLY disagree with your statements and think that your thought process (and people like you) is going to do nothing but make this battle worse. You may not use it medically, but there truly are people out there that reap many medical benefits from the use of marijuana.

I think it's sad that you might actually consider yourself someone who supports marijuana, while in reality you don't. Your words show that you support marijuana because it's convenient for you and I think that is the wrong approach.


As far as my thoughts on it's criminal/legal status. I think it will be quite some time, but I think we might see some positive changes with marijuana. More and more I am seeing open-mindednes with marijuana.
Medicinal marijuana is obviously going to be the first step, then we might see more decriminalization to follow.

Only time will tell, however.

[Unknownfigure]

The most we can hope for within the next ten years is decriminalization, in severe states it would probably be a small fine and thats it. Maybe in ten years cultivation won't have YEARS attached to it. Maybe.

But I can see legalisation in twenty years. America has many bright, ambitious young citizens that will fill the places of the aged and corrupted politicians who are out of contact with average society... Slowly, the people who control our government will be replaced and over years our country can potentially have a completely different view on pretty much everything. Why would the same people pass a bill they denied not too many years earlier? Of course, if more people who leaned towards decriminalization gained power, eventually the bills we wanted to pass finally would.


But that would take a really long time...

[motrhead77]

It's pretty sad the way our goverment is on this issue, if there main excuse is going to be drugs getting into underage hands, use the tax money made off it to do school drug testing or something, I am 30 now and worry it will never be legal in my lifetime and where i live it is very risky growing or possesing (manatee county florida) even more with kids.

[backwoodsindo]

I have a question for those of you who profit from growing marijuana... Do you really want it to be legalized?

My theory is that Obama will become president and decriminalize marijuana. Then everyone will be growing, and growing quality cannabis will no longer be like growing 24k gold. The world would be a better place if it was legalized, but to someone who makes a lot of money growing pounds and selling it for $50-100 an 8th, is that really what you want?

[flyingimam]

I have a question for those of you who profit from growing marijuana... Do you really want it to be legalized?

My theory is that Obama will become president and decriminalize marijuana. Then everyone will be growing, and growing quality cannabis will no longer be like growing 24k gold. The world would be a better place if it was legalized, but to someone who makes a lot of money growing pounds and selling it for $50-100 an 8th, is that really what you want?

U r calling out dealers on the boards, thats just funny lol, no1 who is making money will ever put their public ip and address out here and literally "confess" to a felony!

i aint no dealer but let me make things clear for u


1. Obama MAY/MAY NOT become president, regardless his decriminalization idea is to cut the pen-time as penalty for small timers, thats as far as i know, most likely knowing the country's situation now and having biden as vice president, i highly doubt he will do anything regarding decriminalization any time soon

congress is a very different story though!

2. a person who grows pounds on pounds, and sells it for a living, doesnt need to be on these boards, they already know how to grow and are making money from it... they have their own sources!

same person, will not sell it on streets 8th by 8th or gr by gr!!! its a supply chain like retail market... growers give it to very few people on larger quantities and then they sell it to lower ranks on n on till we get to the end pothead who gets ripped for few grs of weed and smokes it all up:rastasmoke:

Coke sends an 18wheeler to sams club, your local Chinese restaurant goes and buys 10 bottled packs of it and some small vending machine business may do the same but get 30 packages... then each sells it at a price thats worth for them to the end consumer, restaurant usually sells it @ or above $1 and vending machine can sell it usually @ or below $1

3. and for that matter, a person who is growing pounds, doesnt mind switching the substance for his money, he is "most likely" a person with criminal record.

and if they are not, then even better, they can go and be forced to find themselves a real job lol!

[backwoodsindo]

yeah I didn't mean that someone who grows pounds sells it by the 8th. I just meant that their product can very well end up being sold by the 8th, after it trickles down the ranks of dealers, like you explained. And if somebody is growing on a small scale they could very well sell by the 8th.

I'm new to this site but I used to frequent Overgrow.com, where a great many people posted pictures of operations ranging in size. I guess I just assumed that whoever it is posting these pictures of grow rooms containing thousands of dollars worth of flowering buds are probably in the business of selling it. Why else would you have 30 plants instead of one or two? You think they're growing pounds to hand out for free to their friends? I'm with you though.. posting incriminating pictures on this forum seems pretty foolish but all you have to do is browse around the grow section to see that plenty of people are willing to take that risk.


And maybe my Obama theory is just wishful thinking. He just doesn't strike me as one to tolerate people going to jail for growing plants.

[flyingimam]

well, there are plenty of people who are willing to make a big capital investment and have a "grow room" of their own, lots and lots of them are medicinal patients with proper papers for their medication
30 plants @ 1-2 oz per plant aint much... plus sometimes plants die, sometimes u r testing them, and sometimes certain plants wont give u a big yield per capita

1 lb is 16 oz and a daily smoker can go thru an ounce in about 5-7 days moderately and smoking alone

so u see... if u r like many other people a "smoker" not just a casual toker... you would do the calculation (other than risk factor) and see that u save shit load of money when u get a customized home grown herb plus it turns into kind of a hubby cuz it needs time and attention so it fills up your time as well

If i was gonna grow for me, i would gauge my consumption in 1 week and then based on that and the strain of plant i like... i would grow enough plants to cover me until before my 2nd round harvest.. meaning what i harvest @ 1st round should last me all the way thru few months until i can get my own next harvest

1 more hint: most commercial grow areas are not too neat n clean... some are top notch, but most show signs that they are commercial and not personal
like having far more than 30 plants! or being in larger rooms with thousands of dollars worth of equipment... not like a few hundred bux! or u will see many custom made systems for plants, like many dirty looking buckets and hoses and wires running all over the place... cuz they are business, they only work on the money maker part, forget the look of the area, as long as germs dont kill the harvest! or sometimes u see a whole house including the restrooms used as well,

just google some grow bust, DEA is more than willing to post up pictures of the gardens for most of their major operations

most commercial grow busts net hundreds of thousands (sometimes millions) of dollars worth of weed in street price and thousands of dollars worth of equipment! say $6000 a pound sale price and needing min of 8-10 plants to get a pound, only in a $50000 bust, u will have to have grown 80-100 full blown plants

[Hollywierdtoker]

I have been in a large-scale grow house after it burned down...WAY different from someone just growing for personal use...the WHOLE house had plants...except for the kitchen...haha. Cannabis is already decriminalized in some states...but federally I don't see it happening soon. I see medical cannabis become tolerated/accepted soon though. The medical movement has a strong backing and I think there are enough legitimately sick people who do benefit from it (myslef included) and people have slowly become more accepting on a mainstream level.

[Markass]

Soon the medical states will overwhelm the feds and they wont have any choice. The fear is dissipating and the truth is becoming clear. A lot of work ahead but i predict within the next 5-10 years it will be legal with the exception of driving on it. And they will try to put a tax or ban on growing your own but that will eventually get overwhelmed and will have growing legal too. There is no stopping the truth. The ball is rolling.

I agree 100%

[Markass]

I have been in a large-scale grow house after it burned down...WAY different from someone just growing for personal use...the WHOLE house had plants...except for the kitchen...haha. Cannabis is already decriminalized in some states...but federally I don't see it happening soon. I see medical cannabis become tolerated/accepted soon though. The medical movement has a strong backing and I think there are enough legitimately sick people who do benefit from it (myslef included) and people have slowly become more accepting on a mainstream level.

once enough states pass medical legislation, there will be a demand for federal reclassification. Too many people will have family members toking under state law and wonder why the DEA says they can be arrested

[Markass]

i agree, pot will never be legal.

the whole idea about medical marijuana is really a joke, we all know it. there might be a few things marijuana can somewhat make you feel better about but its mainly for people who just want to get stoned (im in that group as a med mj patient) and the lists I see spam'd on here for pot helping all sorts of things is crazy. there is NO PROOF, just saying it 'might' help. well aspirin might help too.

sure we like to get stoned, so just admit it rather than perpetuate sum fantasy.

I strongly disagree with you 100%. I know people who have no other alternative than to use cannabis. You apparently need to do a bit of reading, slick. It's no joke, it's making people's lives better.

and trust me, there's plenty of fucking proof. I personally know the proof, and I'm quite offended by your post. There's no might. It DOES help people, and obviously it doesn't help you, and you don't deserve to have a recommendation.

[Storm Crow]

I remember things that you kids only read about.

I remember 20 years for 2 seeds and a few particles of green.

I remember life for a single joint.

I remember Tulia.

I remember a raided house that had been "cleaned", yet the cops "found" 2 fat baggies of Mex brick weed (when the folks there were smoking only good homegrown from a friend :mad: ).

I remember checking the table I rolled on for even the tiniest bit of green- cops looked for "particles" back then- didn't have to be a "smokable amount".

Medical cannabis wasn't even a concept when I started toking. There simply was no such thing. Now, 12 out of 50 states have some form of medical cannabis- and more MMJ bills are on the ballot. We need 1 more state to put us over the 1/4 mark- we will have it soon.


Remember, things ARE changing, slowly, but they are changing. Prohibition IS dying, but like most dinosaurs, it takes a while for it's tiny brain to get the message. How fast it dies is up to US! Yeah, I mean YOU! Get your tail moving and do something- the only way we "kill the beast" is for each of us to take up the responsibility to become an activist in whatever way we can. Send or show your doctor my list. Write a report on MMJ in college. Correct a misconception. Write a politician. Grow yer own. Write a letter to the editor. Vote! Even just using cannabis in a responsible way can be a form of activism!


Time for all of us to start "playing St. George"! :thumbsup:


Granny :hippy:

[Smokeybears]

That's the most encouraging thing that I've heard in a longggg time.

In the words of Seth Rogen on Pineapple Express- "Let's face it, everyone likes smokin weed."
I guess it really is just a matter of time, but i've already sent my letter to the state rep, and any time anyone around me talks about it I tell them to just think of the money our government could make off of a marijuana tax.
I'm not a tax lover or anything but whatever it takes to legalize it man.

[Loves2Bong]

no way dude

[Markass]

no way dude

The people who say it'll never happen are most likely those people sitting at home on the couch smoking pot..and think it'll never happen because they'd rather sit at home on the couch than get out and even throw the least bit of facts at people who argue marijuana is bad.:thumbsup:

And just to prove how wrong you are, marijuana technically already is decriminalized.

Nebraska: Amount, 1 oz or less (first offense) penalty, civil citation incarceration, none fine, $300

[trueblu8]

Wow that's pretty unbelievable Storm Crow, thanks for the insight. And yes I agree, things ARE changing, slowly, but surely.

[Smokeybears]

yea. I just hope I live to see it, I know I wont though.

Maybe my grandkids someday hahah

What do you all think about a straightforward approach, like door to door surveys to start out? Sounds stupid but its a start

[flyingimam]

What do you all think about a straightforward approach, like door to door surveys to start out? Sounds stupid but its a start

half of the public is ill informed
and many of these very same people posses firearms!

i think best way is to work through media and mainstream outlets, i sometimes wonder, they keep sayin media is liberal n stuff, how come no major national media firm actively supports legalization or decriminalization... i mean, find one major talk show thats devoted to this and we may have a chance to lobby the public.

sure, in this regard, some steps have been taken so far and things have been said, but as u can guess educating a misinformed nation requires subliminal propaganda style of informing!

[yiGity]

no way just look how fucked up the feds are.. we cant even have our own laws without having them intervene,but at the same time a lot of illegal shit is going down at the same time... i can definately see legalization will come in the next 10 to 20 years as the younger generations get into office and more research is done on cannabis itself... only time will tell

[geoluv]

even though its just 12 states they include california, which is fucking huge, so huge that they grow more bud than all of canada.

its only 1/4 of the states but im willing to bet that its more than 1/3 the population.

plus we are talking about decrim? its already decrimmed in my state; new york. in ny its only a 100 dollar disorderly persons offence. they cannot detain you unless you were smoking it in public, and even then the most they can do is keep you for a few hours.

this effectivly makes speeding in excess of 10 miles over the speed limit a worse offence.

in practice unless you are walking around with a pound in your backpack or you REALLY mouth off to the cops they dont even ticket you or take your weed. i know people who got pulled over litterly while in the middle of smoking a blunt and the cops didnt even take their weed. that was in brooklyn though, i guess i should specify that i live in nyc where the cops dont even bother with weed. the high times office is within walking distance of my apartment.

even the most conservative estimates say it will be full blown legal in 25 years. think about it, 25 years ago they would toss you in jail in a heartbeat and possesion was a felony. nowadays even the most conservative states arent going to toss you in jail for a joint, theyll just arrest you and make you pay a huge fine (the real reason its not legal, its like a cash machine for local governments).

if the next presidential term doesnt end the federal interfierence with medical marijuana, then at the very least when more than half of the states get medical marijuana the feds will basicly HAVE to give up, when its obvious that the majority of US citizens want medical bud. it all hinges on lowering it to schedual II, where it becomes perscribable. remember that in california doctors only "recomend" that you use marijuana. if doctors were free to perscribe marijuana then wed have medical marijuana the entire country over instantly.

it all hinges on this election... if barak wins i could definatly see him quietly ending federal interfierence with medical marijuana , that will be like opening the flood gates. states will pass medical measures left and right. and thats if he doesnt reschedual it alltogether, i fear reschedualing wont happen untill more than half the states pass medical measures. pharm companies are going to fight the reschedualing TOOTH AND NAIL.

if mccain wins we are fucked, itll just be more of the same, although he might die and palin is from the only state in the country where weed is sorta legal, regaurdless of medical use. of course shes also a fundamental christian who is dumb as a stump.

i estimate well have medical marijuana in every state in 15 years and full blown legalization in 25.

[flyingimam]

man, i must admit, so far I am surprised with the amount of optimism and what people say on this topic... makes me even more hopeful than b4

Once I took economics class in college and my professor who was a very smart guy, said "Recession, is technically defined as 2 consecutive quarters of negative growth in GDP & economy, BUT, people keep worrying about it when it's not there yet and that could just help it happen"

this is kinda the karma and collective energy that people spread around

so i guess the positive side of it should work as well, the more people are optimist about it the more the "general mood" will be towards the target!

[Immolation]

MJ will be decriminalized one day.Just not soon enough for Most of us.:hippy:

[flyingimam]

Hi again guys, long ass time no see. i've been very busy with uni and life, but now i got my recess and have a lil time... how's everybody doin?

[bump] an update and some new votes on this will be great insight after much apparent change in more than 6 months.

we got a couple of more states now who have either decriminalized or medicinalized cannabis!:jointsmile: and a number of other potential victories are pending... bills in various states and even in the federal govt.

i personally have changed my forecast that by around 2012 (give/take 1yr) federal ban on marijuana for personal consumption will either go unenforced or rarely enforced (as more states oppose it, it becomes costlier for feds to continue, politically and financially) or it will be reduced or lifted thru congress.

I must say on the election night, the strong dual victories we gained made me much more optimistic about the situation...:rastasmoke:smoke on...