MJ may be legal starting next week, wow.

Well, I am cynical about the reality behind this legislation and the unforeseen blowback to the medical marijuana patient community. First, this is huge business!!! The profit motive will come first and commercialized operations will quickly outnumber small-scale providers. It will be over-regulated and difficult to break through the red tape to become a licensed provider and people will jump on the green rush without any experience or understanding of the plant. So, these newbs just looking to make quick cash will be pervasive. Overall quality will suffer out of necessity as price drops and providers will be unable to compete. Pharmaceutical and tobacco lobbies will inevitably get legislation passed to corner the market and thrust MJ into corporate control. GMO and other technology will produce strains that are even more profitable with no benefit to patients or consumers. Eventually, there will be boutique markets perhaps but most will not be made by smokers with passion and love for the process. The growing industry, as we know it, will likely collapse and huge job losses cause huge regional recessions. The legality of consumption and cheaper product make sense immediately, but the claws of big business will win in the end. My outlook is grim I realize, but the economics push the politics into play. The support for this legislation comes from profiteers and not patients and providers. It stinks and before we know better it will be too late.

potpimp said:

I think it's just a matter of time and it will be legal or at least decriminalized. The truth will set you free. People just need to know the truth about why it came to be illegal in the first place, and the benefits of it. I just hope "stoners" don't mess it up for everyone. While I'm all for getting "high", this is real medicine, one of the most important - if not THE most important - plants in the world and it deserves the utmost respect. Paying taxes on it is like paying the mafia for "protection" or paying a ransom to a kidnapper. The state didn't give the plant, so it should not be able to tax it's use.

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My feelings exactly! People should not be taxed or punished for it, and they should be able to grown their own if so desired.
Sure, we need some standards, some controls, and some (shudder) regulation. These goals need to be achieved with input from the cannabis community, it shouldn't be entrusted exclusively to some 'legislators' that haven't a clue.

I believe most users and producers are responsible folks, and I think we can be entrusted to eliminating the undesirable elements while promoting real economic and scientific progress, both individually and collectively, as a global community.

My real hope is that future generations of Americans, and people everywhere, have safe, legal, affordable access to cannabis and all the benefits it offers.

you really believe that an entire culture that has formed and grown to present size under prohibition will suddenly collapse under legalization? the key here is to pay attention and be involved in the process at your state and local level. get out and vote make your lazy stoner friends vote. dont allow them to pass bills taking cultivation rights away from the PEOPLE! What good is legalization if growers are still outlaws?

Lo Budget said:

My feelings exactly! People should not be taxed or punished for it, and they should be able to grown their own if so desired.
Sure, we need some standards, some controls, and some (shudder) regulation. These goals need to be achieved with input from the cannabis community, it shouldn't be entrusted exclusively to some 'legislators' that haven't a clue.

I believe most users and producers are responsible folks, and I think we can be entrusted to eliminating the undesirable elements while promoting real economic and scientific progress, both individually and collectively, as a global community.

My real hope is that future generations of Americans, and people everywhere, have safe, legal, affordable access to cannabis and all the benefits it offers.

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bingo like i said the key here is to get out an not let these bills be passed in your states with wording that takes grow rights away from the people

it should be legal to grow in your front yard, any size, thats it, no taxes, no big business, just a plant that you can grow

man we still gotta vote state to state. so much red tape its ridiculous and when they do legalize it you better bet your sweet ass they are gonna enforce it and tax the hell out of it...i cant wait!!!!!!

OP - you totally did not understand that article...OR...you read what you wanted to read, cause you have your head in the clouds!

screw the government and them taxing and controlling it...they fuck up everything they touch and they sure won't get any tax dollars from me...I doubt it will ever be legal under federal law..this country makes way too much money off drug arrests to go change something that they've made illegal for nearly a century..

the cost of 1 person in jail is costing the state level and federal level way to much for them to keep on jailing persons for simple possession. most federal laws will still be in play due to cartells growing huge crops on state and federal lands.the state level will have to be voted in and controlled from a state level and the feds won't interfere on there ways of governing the laws and there decisions...but if your trafficing or growing huge crops then the feds will step in.. just like most states with a 50 or 100 plant limit to be federal..until the government steps up and does something about it ,it is up to US the little people that can stop bills and laws from making it worse.. be more pro active on legalizing it in your state.. the more states we have that legalize it the better off we all will be with the feds.. look at it like this the stopped booze then legalized it ,then banned weed and other controlled substances and soon t will be re legalized due to overwhelming evidence and uses.. so get up and get to voting and stop being scared that someone might see you at a shop or voting booth trying to do our job legalizing the great natural herb that was put on the earth for EVERYONE TO ENJOY AND USE FOR WHAT EVER THEY WANT TO,BECAUSE WERE IN THE USA. FREE COUNTRY MY ASS.. THE GOVERNMENT..

ProfessorEnglbert said:

you really believe that an entire culture that has formed and grown to present size under prohibition will suddenly collapse under legalization? the key here is to pay attention and be involved in the process at your state and local level. get out and vote make your lazy stoner friends vote. dont allow them to pass bills taking cultivation rights away from the PEOPLE! What good is legalization if growers are still outlaws?

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It will not be sudden but competition with big business will make it unrealistic

I am down for legalization and growing anywhere you please but once its legalized we cannot flaunt it in peoples face and start growing bushes of marijuana all over our front yards... then the soccer moms protest, and the dominos follow... when the time comes we cannot shove it in people face and jump around like a bunch of kids in junior high just to smirk at our opponents....we must show the MMJ community to be respectful, calm, and peaceful people...we already have enough negative press to fix right?...my 2 cents thanks

bass1014 said:

the cost of 1 person in jail is costing the state level and federal level way to much for them to keep on jailing persons for simple possession. most federal laws will still be in play due to cartells growing huge crops on state and federal lands.the state level will have to be voted in and controlled from a state level and the feds won't interfere on there ways of governing the laws and there decisions...but if your trafficing or growing huge crops then the feds will step in.. just like most states with a 50 or 100 plant limit to be federal..until the government steps up and does something about it ,it is up to US the little people that can stop bills and laws from making it worse.. be more pro active on legalizing it in your state.. the more states we have that legalize it the better off we all will be with the feds.. look at it like this the stopped booze then legalized it ,then banned weed and other controlled substances and soon t will be re legalized due to overwhelming evidence and uses.. so get up and get to voting and stop being scared that someone might see you at a shop or voting booth trying to do our job legalizing the great natural herb that was put on the earth for EVERYONE TO ENJOY AND USE FOR WHAT EVER THEY WANT TO,BECAUSE WERE IN THE USA. FREE COUNTRY MY ASS.. THE GOVERNMENT..

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In my state and many others its quite the opposite, for every minor drug arrest they aren't loosing money but making it. Labor from correctional facilities accounts for nearly 30% of our gdp and keeps our state out of the red. Almost all our products used in public areas are from prison labour. Without it my state would surely go bankrupt, not saying i give a shit. I think it would be awesome if people got off their asses and figured shit out for themselves.

Weed helps me pay my bills.

ProfessorEnglbert said:

hahahah what you mean "a spot" ? the day the feds legalize im sticking a plant in my front yard and pruning it to grow into a middle finger!

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Hmmm, once you're able to legally grow why would you want to shape into a middle finger? At that point you should no longer be saying F-you to the feds but Thank you!

Burgertime, you mentioned another dark cloud on the horizon - big tobacco companies. They are already in bed with the govt and people can bet their ass that R.J. Reynolds, and all the other tobacco companies are going to be positioned to take full advantage of it when it happens. There will be so much shit, so much red tape and BS that most people will just say "fuck it" and either grow without the states permission, or not grow at all. It's all about the fucking money.

potpimp said:

Burgertime, you mentioned another dark cloud on the horizon - big tobacco companies. They are already in bed with the govt and people can bet their ass that R.J. Reynolds, and all the other tobacco companies are going to be positioned to take full advantage of it when it happens. There will be so much shit, so much red tape and BS that most people will just say "fuck it" and either grow without the states permission, or not grow at all. It's all about the fucking money.

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While I hope that wouldn't be true, it probably will be. Big tobacco is involved as well as the major alcohol producers, both stand to make big bucks.

potpimp said:

Burgertime, you mentioned another dark cloud on the horizon - big tobacco companies. They are already in bed with the govt and people can bet their ass that R.J. Reynolds, and all the other tobacco companies are going to be positioned to take full advantage of it when it happens. There will be so much shit, so much red tape and BS that most people will just say "fuck it" and either grow without the states permission, or not grow at all. It's all about the fucking money.

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To go along with what you said, Marlboro has had a patent and trademark since 1982 for Marlboro Green. Pretty sure 82', may have been 80'. Either way...

lol that article is days old man. all it says is IF states want to legalize then the fed wont interfere , not that mj will be legalized nationwide. some people IQ really shows. wanna know how to overthrow it? write an angry letter to your state senator hahaha

the same way you cant illegalize something without a vote you cannot legalize it without such either. I mean I guess income taxes dont apply nor do alot of government issues but thats the main idea. lets say im 99 years old and didnt want weed legalized? well id have a right to say something

nowhereland said:

it should be legal to grow in your front yard, any size, thats it, no taxes, no big business, just a plant that you can grow

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Reasonable limits on the quantity one can grow untaxed for personal use would be fine with me. Taxing sales of it, also. Many would prefer to buy it rather than grow their own, so you know some will be happy to fill that demand. Any consumer product one inhales should be regulated just to ensure safety.

FuckJeffGoldbloom said:

I am down for legalization and growing anywhere you please but once its legalized we cannot flaunt it in peoples face and start growing bushes of marijuana all over our front yards... then the soccer moms protest, and the dominos follow... when the time comes we cannot shove it in people face and jump around like a bunch of kids in junior high just to smirk at our opponents....we must show the MMJ community to be respectful, calm, and peaceful people...we already have enough negative press to fix right?...my 2 cents thanks

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I agree, but you know there are those who just can't control themselves. Pot use is so widespread, I don't think the media will make that big a deal of it. This new policy now is a giant leap forward, but barely covered in the press. I think this opens a door that can't be closed again. Soon, incarcerated citizens will be suing to be released if convicted under Fed law. The Feds can't outlaw things in one state while allowing it in another.