Obama and decriminalization?

drug reform is a political third rail issue - touch it and you're dead...things are so screwed up right now that cannabis isn't on the federal political radar...later on i think obama will tackle other drug issues like the racial disparity in drug sentencing, and reduce federal money being dumped on the drug war

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclop...rail-(metaphor)

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Originally Posted by IAmKowalski

Here's the text of the bill:


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So yes, it eliminates criminal penalties for personal use and possession up to 100 grams. It stops far short of common sense, however. It doesn't legitimize the industry, it doesn't allow for regulation of sale (to control the minimum age of purchase for instance), in fact it doesn't allow for sale at all.

Why would anyone want to prevent the regulation and taxation of the largest cash crop in the country? Why would we want to keep it on the black market?

Anyone who knows a bit about this plant knows that the current situation is just plain silly - but why, then, would we stop so short of actually FIXING the situation, and instead continue the climate of prohibition?

Yes, this could be a step in the right direction in that it would give the public at large time to become more familiar with Marijuana and its effects. Yes, it would allow very small scale home growing of a tiny bonsai plant or two.... but I only see this as a good thing as a stepping stone toward the eventual legalization and regulation of Marijuana.

Even for home growers - how much do you think you can grow if the weight of all of your living plants, plus the weight of any dried bud on hand all has to be under 100 grams? That would mean the stems, leaves, and possibly (depending on how the law would be interpreted in your locality) even the roots all weighed while wet and living (and all of that water in the plant is likely to double its weight)? Do you think you're going to be able to make the cops understand that the rest of the plant doesn't count? Do you think you're going to make them understand that if they would just come back in a week that bud hanging in your closet would weigh a hell of a lot less because it would have time to dry out? Good luck.

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i agree 100%! i was simply stating that it could possibly be a step in the right direction.

-shake

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Originally Posted by headshake

i agree 100%! i was simply stating that it could possibly be a step in the right direction.

-shake

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I agree that it could be a step in the right direction - but if legalization (and associated regulation) is considered radical, then shouldn't decriminalization be considered even more radical?

Think about some of the arguments for prohibition:

1) The gateway effect. We can all agree that to some degree the prohibition of Marijuana is a gateway policy, forcing consumers into a black market to purchase a popular product. It is this same black market that can provide more elicit and more dangerous substances. Decriminalization of small amounts for personal use without allowing for a legal market in which to purchase doesn't address this problem.

2) If you smoke weed, you're supporting terrorism. Again, this is a question of the black market versus a legal regulated marketplace. We all know this claim is a bunch of bull, but if the proponents of prohibition actually believe their own words then once again we should point out that only establishing a legal regulated market can eliminate the mass flow of funds into an untraceable black market.

Isn't allowing anyone to possess up to 3.52 ounces of weed which must be purchased illegally, grown illegally, or smuggled illegally into our country far more radical than allowing it to be grown and sold legally in licensed stores to adults?

I find it strange that decriminalization is seen as a step toward legalization when its effects would certainly be more radical.

I think decriminalization/legalization is missing the point. The realistic goal is unhampering marijuana research.