Colorado- get the vote out this november!!!
- Thread starter MacGuyver4.2.0
- Start date
Medshed
Well-Known Member
That's a good question Sauce. A64 says current MMJ laws will remain unchanged. I don't know if you could play it both ways - carry 2 oz with your red card and have unlimited stash jars at home. Seems like you should be able to but I'm sure it all depends on the cop/judge/jury you get, if it comes to that.
hockey4848
Well-Known Member
If it does pass how do sales work? Is it still illegal to sell anything to your neighbor that you harvest "legally" in your basement?
Will the current dispensaries rules remain the same except they can now serve anyone over 21?? Will they raise prices due to the 15% sales tax?
I read that you can have as much as you can grow off of 6 plants stored at your house. How much can you legally transport?
Do you guys really think more people are going to start growing? I feel like everyone that wants to grow is already doing it under the medical laws.
Will the current dispensaries rules remain the same except they can now serve anyone over 21?? Will they raise prices due to the 15% sales tax?
I read that you can have as much as you can grow off of 6 plants stored at your house. How much can you legally transport?
Do you guys really think more people are going to start growing? I feel like everyone that wants to grow is already doing it under the medical laws.
hockey4848
Well-Known Member
I live in another medical marijuana state a few thousand miles away. I am not scheming anything, I am just interested in marijuana legislation nationwide and try to follow every states progress best I can.
Do you know the answers to ANY of my questions?
MacGuyver4.2.0
Well-Known Member
Those are thought provoking questions, but who really has the answers? Seriously.
So say the CO vote passes and it is 'regulated like alcohol'.
Does that mean:
-21 yrs and older and you can buy it in state licensed stores?
-It is taxed just like cigarettes and alcohol, (which are higher tax % than normal consumer goods)
-You could be pulled over and charged with 'impaired driving'? The CO senate and house tried to pass that shitty bill twice now!
-Insurance companies will begin to charge a 'higher' (woah, pun) rate for CO drivers 21 and older whether they smoke/use cannabis or not.
-Police, Firefighters and other state and public servants will NOT be able to use smoke/use cannabis while they have thier jobs.
-The state will see an immediate and almost overwhelming influx of new residents ...simliar to the gold rush days of the 1800's. That could turn out real bad.
-The federal government will levy a penalty on CO by removing federal aid funds for schools, roads and other programs to make an example of them to other states considering 'legalization'.
I can go on and on- but really, you asked a few questions when there are really hundreds more... and frankly, I don't think anyone has put enough thought into that. How sad.
We may actually get what we want, but still get nothing because nobody put enough thought into it!
So say the CO vote passes and it is 'regulated like alcohol'.
Does that mean:
-21 yrs and older and you can buy it in state licensed stores?
-It is taxed just like cigarettes and alcohol, (which are higher tax % than normal consumer goods)
-You could be pulled over and charged with 'impaired driving'? The CO senate and house tried to pass that shitty bill twice now!
-Insurance companies will begin to charge a 'higher' (woah, pun) rate for CO drivers 21 and older whether they smoke/use cannabis or not.
-Police, Firefighters and other state and public servants will NOT be able to use smoke/use cannabis while they have thier jobs.
-The state will see an immediate and almost overwhelming influx of new residents ...simliar to the gold rush days of the 1800's. That could turn out real bad.
-The federal government will levy a penalty on CO by removing federal aid funds for schools, roads and other programs to make an example of them to other states considering 'legalization'.
I can go on and on- but really, you asked a few questions when there are really hundreds more... and frankly, I don't think anyone has put enough thought into that. How sad.
We may actually get what we want, but still get nothing because nobody put enough thought into it!
MacGuyver4.2.0
Well-Known Member
It all comes down to that old saying- "Be careful what you wish for....you may not like what you get"
hockey4848
Well-Known Member
Does it look like it is going to pass?
I remember the cali legalization bill 2 years ago was darn near "guaranteed" to pass. And it lost...
It will be very interesting indeed. But the problem is, if it does pass, and it causes BIG problems and creates national headlines it could shy other people in other states away from voting on future state legalization bills. "remember what happened in colorado....we dont want that in our state." So if it does pass, i hope it works.
Senseimilla
Well-Known Member
Like Cali, it'll depend on who shows up to vote. If older, conservative voters come out to vote in november weed goes down... if the younger generation votes en masse it passes.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/11/marijuana-legalization-61_n_1587405.html
Marijuana legalization advocates got some good news over the weekend. According to a new poll from Rasmussen Reports, a strong majority of Colorado voters are in favor of legalizing marijuana.
The survey of 500 of likely voters in Colorado conducted on June 6, 2012 shows sixty-one percent are in favor legalizing marijuana if it is regulated the way that alcohol and cigarettes are currently regulated.
Read Rasmussen's full report and see the question's wording here.
That is the highest percentage of Colorado voter support that any marijuana legalization poll has shown to date. In December of 2011, a similar poll from Public Policy Polling showed only 49 percent in favor of general legalization of marijuana.
Betty Aldworth, advocacy director of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol -- a pot advocacy group behind Amendment 64 the 2012 statewide ballot initiative to end marijuana prohibition in Colorado -- said this about the poll in a press statement:
Amendment 64 seeks to legalize marijuana for recreational use for adults and will appear on Colorado ballots this November. This will be the second time Coloradans will vote on recreational pot legislation -- state voters considered and rejected a similar recreational pot legalization initiative in 2006. But Mason Tvert, co-director of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, believes that Colorado has come a long way since 2006:
Amendment 64 also recently received support from both Republicans and Democrats -- in March, 56 percent of the delegates at the Denver County Republican Assembly voted to support the legislation, and in April, the Colorado Democratic Party officially endorsed Amendment 64 and added a marijuana legalization plank to the current party platform.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/11/marijuana-legalization-61_n_1587405.html
Marijuana legalization advocates got some good news over the weekend. According to a new poll from Rasmussen Reports, a strong majority of Colorado voters are in favor of legalizing marijuana.
The survey of 500 of likely voters in Colorado conducted on June 6, 2012 shows sixty-one percent are in favor legalizing marijuana if it is regulated the way that alcohol and cigarettes are currently regulated.
Read Rasmussen's full report and see the question's wording here.
That is the highest percentage of Colorado voter support that any marijuana legalization poll has shown to date. In December of 2011, a similar poll from Public Policy Polling showed only 49 percent in favor of general legalization of marijuana.
Betty Aldworth, advocacy director of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol -- a pot advocacy group behind Amendment 64 the 2012 statewide ballot initiative to end marijuana prohibition in Colorado -- said this about the poll in a press statement:
The vast majority of Coloradans appear to be ready to end marijuana prohibition and replace it with a more responsible system in which it is regulated and taxed similarly to alcohol. Our current system of prohibition is the worst possible system when it comes to keeping marijuana away from teens. It is driving marijuana into the underground market where proof of age is not required and where other illegal products might be available. By regulating marijuana like alcohol, we can better control it and generate significant and much-needed tax revenue for the state. We can also stop making adults criminals simply for using a substance that is objectively less harmful than alcohol.
Coloradans will be voting on whether the state should legalize marijuana this November and it's a vote that some say could affect the presidential race in the state where marijuana dispensaries in Denver alone (400) outnumber the Starbucks throughout the entire state (375), The Denver Post first reported.
Amendment 64 seeks to legalize marijuana for recreational use for adults and will appear on Colorado ballots this November. This will be the second time Coloradans will vote on recreational pot legislation -- state voters considered and rejected a similar recreational pot legalization initiative in 2006. But Mason Tvert, co-director of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, believes that Colorado has come a long way since 2006:
More Coloradans than ever before are aware of the fact that marijuana is not as dangerous as they have been led to believe and is actually far less harmful than alcohol. They have also seen firsthand via our medical marijuana system that it is possible for the state and localities to regulate and control the production and distribution of marijuana. They have read stories that quote law enforcement officials acknowledging that it has not contributed to crime or caused any significant problems. The environment here has changed dramatically.
It's yet another piece of good news for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol which just last week received support for Amendment 64 from industrial hemp leaders. Dr. David Bronner, the creator of the popular Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps line of natural soap products, donated $50,000 to the Campaign.Amendment 64 also recently received support from both Republicans and Democrats -- in March, 56 percent of the delegates at the Denver County Republican Assembly voted to support the legislation, and in April, the Colorado Democratic Party officially endorsed Amendment 64 and added a marijuana legalization plank to the current party platform.
I would love to see this pass. It would be nice to see Colorado as a test state for the rest of the USA. I am tired of the pointless prohibition on Marijuana. If people can't see the ridiculousness in it then there is a problem. I hope that it passes and Colorado sees a nice little budget surplus as others travel there to purchase weed without the hassle of worrying about the police or getting ripped off. It would make other states look in envy when money is spent outside of their state on tourism and just to get a bit of weed. I don't think it would be a huge industry but I do think many college kids and younger folks would go there for some weed. Either way it is 2012 and weed is still illegal, which is ridiculous.
farmerEd
Active Member
I honestly don't know how I feel about a surplus of out of towners lol...i mean think about it...people come in to do their vices (in this case weed) fuck up shit, commit crimes and then go back home to their own towns lol..I'm not saying I won't vote for this, it just seems like there are a lot of things people are not thinking about...
Like does that open the door for large operations to start up? If so, Who gets a permit to start one of these operations? If most of the card carriers decide not to renew their cards, where do these folks get their pot? Can they sell it themselves? Can't they trade it? Etc etc
It just seems like everyone from the outside looking in wants this to pass so they can wait to see if the walls cave in...
cannawacky
Member
I'm sorry guys, I have been supporting legalization, but I haven't considered everything. This could drastically change the tourism industry in Colorado. Instead of skiing and outdoors vacations, Colorado could be the Netherlands of the U.S. Do you think this could backfire on the existing tourism businesses or just add another attraction? I doubt it would hurt the ski industry, but what about summer family vacationers?
I completely understand your concerns. But I would suggest you think about it as what will happen with more tourist dollars. Most people I know, and this is my experience, who use cannabis regularly are more well behaved then people who use alcohol regularly. I do think it would be a spring break destination for potheads in college as opposed to Miami or other tourist hot spots with beaches. But the concern you are voicing is a real one as it could make your state the North American version of Amsterdam. It would be interesting to see but I completely understand your concerns and apprehension about this.
As far as corporations taking over, that is a possibility. However I wonder if they will risk the wrath of the Federal government and the Department of Justice (DOJ). As the current administration has gone after banks which open accounts for dispensaries and businesses in the trade, will they go after these corporations with deep pockets and lobbyists? It would be a very negative PR move for the DOJ to target small growers and their operations versus a huge mega-corporation such as Phillip Morris. It would certainly make them look bad and draw more attention to Citizens United and the current national debate about moneyed interests using lobbyists and money to get their way.
As far as who gets a permit and the current MMJ users, I can't answer those questions as I am not as familiar with the current laws in Colorado or the upcoming law. But I do think current MMJ users would just be able to go down to the bud-store (it would be nice to see those) and just pick it up like some people do with over the counter medicines or alcohol. It should be legal to use for medical treatment or for recreation or both as you need it. I am sure there are people who take an occasional shot of liquor to calm the nerves or relieve some pain like toothaches, is it a medicine or a drug then? Can't it be both?
I would definitely agree with your last statement. It is an interesting social experiment. Will marijuana cause problems for society like alcohol does? In college when I lived next to potheads, I was much more content with my neighbors than the alcoholic neighbors I had in other apartments. If it is a success meaning that crime doesn't skyrocket or is lowered and that there is a nice little economic boon, it will be considered in other states. I am sure some of the more hard hit states like Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and other states that lost industry and tax dollars will consider the benefits of it as they will need the money. Pro-Weed folks will be hopeful that the walls don't cave in and that it proves what they have been saying all this time while Anti-Weed folks will use failure as a support for more anti-drug laws. The eyes of the nation will be watching Colorado if this passes.
To think about what might happen, I would suggest we look at Amsterdam and see what happened there after it was legalized. The same with other places where drugs have been decriminalized.
I don't think it will hurt any industry. People who want to travel to Colorado in the summer for vacation will regardless. California gets a lot of tourists and it has very lax laws in my opinion regarding marijuana versus other states. People still visit there. People are pretty basic when it comes to what they want. If I want to go to Colorado to fish and explore the beautiful outdoors found there, then I will whether weed is legal or not. The same with skiing. If I want a family vacation, then I will take one whether they allow weed or not.
Most people don't consider the laws of the state where they are visiting unless there is a reason to. For example hunting laws and gun laws are to be considered if you are going to hunt there. If you want to go and race cars around a track, you will consider the rules and laws they have regarding racing and other sports. The same thing with gambling, if you want to gamble then you will research the laws. I know that when my friends and I were younger, we learned that it was legal for us to gamble at the indian casinos in a neighboring state at age 18 versus our own state which required us to be 21. So we went to that state to gamble. Only if there is a compelling reason to need to know the law or for a specific reason, will people go there. Amsterdam is a tourist spot for many simply because it is legal to smoke there, but otherwise most people who have no interest in smoking don't make it a special place. Youngstown is a Mecca for baseball fans but it doesn't hold any significance for me as I don't really enjoy baseball. I suspect that it will be the same if weed is legalized in Colorado. Only those who are interested in it will make it a point to go there.
Senseimilla
Well-Known Member
I just hope people in CO or WA are responsible enough to handle it -- because if people go out and booze it up and get high and start killing people on the roads or doing other stupid shit, that'll be the end of the legalization movement. I think we are going to have to worry less about the potheads and medical users than the everyday average newb who starts smoking because it's legal now. Those fuckers ain't got NO tolerance.
farmerEd
Active Member
Thank you! That's exactly what I'm saying!! It's not the potheads I'm worried about...if you think people are going to fly into Colorado to just smoke, you're crazy...they're gonna come to party. I talk to many of my friends who still live in the south and I have to constantly explain the situation here...a lot of people are oblivious to our laws, most of them think weed is legal here already!
I do agree that they will come to party and turn it into a tourist destination somewhat, but I expect that it will then become kind of a red light district thing such as in Amsterdam. People will be sent to one area of the town in order to party and it will be kind of contained. And I do think many people are ignorant to the laws.
Senseimilla
Well-Known Member
I can confirm it's not! I had a helluva time finding someone to hook me up with some dispensary bud last time I visited
Thank god for craigslist and kind potheads