Which State Is Next?

[+washtenaut]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/whos-next-pot-changes-wont-stop-washington-061701976--finance.html

[t-pain]

hopefully a few this year, a bunch next year, 20+ in 2016 and then finally cannabis will be freed.

 

but i think we're in for a few fights between here and there.

[trichcycler]

after watching Gupta' Weed2 last night it feels like we're only a few months before the jig is up and we just wont stand for the injustice any longer, allowing every person to freely seek a healthy alternative to harmful prescriptions.

[t-pain]

yeah ... people said the same thing in the 1970s...

[Restorium2]

We even had medical ..... until we elected Reagan. Then everything went stupid for a while. Same thing would have happened if we would have elected Romney. We have a chance to get stupid again in 2016. We could easily lose everything ... again.

[bobandtorey]

I don't see us losing it all anytime maybe the right to grow are own i see that happening sooner then most think

[trichcycler]

yeah ... people said the same thing in the 1970s...

that was me

[Restorium2]

I don't see us losing it all anytime maybe the right to grow are own i see that happening sooner then most think

That was the problem last time. Couldn't grow our own so the program died. You are just seeing the tip of the iceburg Bob. The beginning of the end. Just put a conservative leader in there and it will go away again. No doubt about it. Might even get elected a second term because of the stupidity all around us. Maybe be a hero in the decades to come. Reagan was a puppet/tool to rob the poor and now a lot of folks call him a hero. Reagan and Romney are like twinkies. The third stooge will run in 2016.

[Sledge]

Jeb

[Restorium2]

[+washtenaut]

I am afraid too that the movement could backslide with an anti in the White House.  Certainly nothing Obama/Holder have done is cast in stone.

 

On the side of ending prohibition is the power of the internet.  The movement is so much stronger now than in 1980 because knowledge is much more widespread.  Can you imagine the laughter if the next president said that 'smoking even one joint is equivalent to being on Bikini atoll during the nuclear test explosion'?  (paraphrasing Reagan)

 

My personal opinion is that medical is some form or another is unstoppable.  Recreational use, while looking promising now, is still not a certainty.

[+washtenaut]

Here we see Obama miss an opportunity to change everything...lol

 

http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/09/politics/obama-denver-night-out/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

[+washtenaut]

this article looks ahead too

 

http://247wallst.com/consumer-products/2014/07/10/the-next-9-states-to-legalize-marijuana/

[mzman1968]

I see a couple things that are going to happen.

 

1. Some pharmaceutical company is going to develop something similar that has similar effects as the natural stuff like Sativex and we will no longer be able to produce natural stuff because they have WAY more money then anyone and they already control drugs like opiates that are equal to or worse then morphine.

 

and/or

 

2. Once they see how much money Colorado and Washington are going to make in taxes, the federal government is going to legalize it for recreational use but make it illegal to produce on your own because just like producing your own alcohol, they can't tax it so they will make it illegal to produce your own and if you do you will now be guilty of tax evasion.

 

Then to top it all off, the price is going to be unbelievable because the feds will impose an additional tax onto the tax already being charged by states like Colorado that have already made it legal and tax it 25%, which means the tax for federally legal stuff will be closer to 50%.

 

I seriously doubt there will ever be a day when we will all be happy and it is free like it should be.

[AmishRnot4ganja]

I see a couple things that are going to happen.

 

1. Some pharmaceutical company is going to develop something similar that has similar effects as the natural stuff like Sativex and we will no longer be able to produce natural stuff because they have WAY more money then anyone and they already control drugs like opiates that are equal to or worse then morphine.

 

and/or

 

2. Once they see how much money Colorado and Washington are going to make in taxes, the federal government is going to legalize it for recreational use but make it illegal to produce on your own because just like producing your own alcohol, they can't tax it so they will make it illegal to produce your own and if you do you will now be guilty of tax evasion.

 

Then to top it all off, the price is going to be unbelievable because the feds will impose an additional tax onto the tax already being charged by states like Colorado that have already made it legal and tax it 25%, which means the tax for federally legal stuff will be closer to 50%.

 

I seriously doubt there will ever be a day when we will all be happy and it is free like it should be.

I have to agree with you on this. I think that a lot of activists and dreamers underestimate the abject stupidity of the average voter.

I think they also underestimate the rabid fear that prohibitionists have for marijuana. If the debate about marijuana was based on reason, prohibition would be over already. Unfortunately, due to the abject stupidity of the average American, the debate over marijuana is being conducted on an emotional level and fear is overriding reason. It doesn't help when politicians stoke the fires of fear.

[Highlander]

I have to agree with you on this. I think that a lot of activists and dreamers underestimate the abject stupidity of the average voter.

I think they also underestimate the rabid fear that prohibitionists have for marijuana. If the debate about marijuana was based on reason, prohibition would be over already. Unfortunately, due to the abject stupidity of the average American, the debate over marijuana is being conducted on an emotional level and fear is overriding reason. It doesn't help when politicians stoke the fires of fear.

We need to exercise some care if stating that the average voter is stupid. This puts us into the same category as the anti-MMJ folks who say that the voters were duped into voting for the MMMA.

[mzman1968]

We need to exercise some care if stating that the average voter is stupid. This puts us into the same category as the anti-MMJ folks who say that the voters were duped into voting for the MMMA.

 

Voting for a specific law and voting for representatives are two completely different things in my opinion. When it comes to a specific law, they usually vote how they feel related to the proposed law. When it comes to representatives I would agree that most are stupid, otherwise how would you explain why there are representatives that have been in office for 20-40 years. It's basically because people are resistant to change and they know nothing of any of the representatives, so they usually vote for the incumbent or they vote for a specific party and again know nothing of the views of the person they are voting for.

 

There are very few people that actually educate themselves about the representatives running for office and they are stupid because you could be voting for someone that has completely different views then you do. They might as well just flip a coin because consciously voting for someone that you know nothing about isn't much different. That is why they push for people to vote and exercise their right to vote, because they are well aware of this. I'm not saying all voters are stupid, but I think a majority are when it comes to voting for our representatives.

 

Forest Gump's mother said it best. "Stupid is what stupid does" and if you vote for someone or something you know nothing about.............................I doubt there are very few people that don't know what marijuana is and don't have an opinion on it.

 

I would like to hear the person argue that someone voted for the MMMA that was totally against people using medical marijuana. I know they are out there, but these are the people that completely meet the definition of stupid as well. Most of these people are the politicians themselves because if they can go on TV and say that our borders are secure like they have been lately or think that pharmaceuticals are safe and medical marijuana is not, they are complete idiots because they obviously know better and just tell the same ignorant voters what they want to hear so they will vote for them again.

 

If the MMMA wasn't put up for the vote by the people, our representatives would never vote for it unless there is money to be made. Since there are never federal proposals for laws like the MMMA where the people can actually voice their opinions, the only way it will ever be legal is if there is money to be made like the examples I gave in previous post.

[Wild Bill]

We need to exercise some care if stating that the average voter is stupid.

 

Well, by definition, half of the people in the world are below average.

 

(and they vote)

Edited July 17, 2014 by Wild Bill

[Highlander]

Well, by definition, half of the people in the world are below average.

 

(and they vote)

But they don't vote in the same proportion as educated or non-stupid people.

 

Voting habits are relevant here and have a lot to do with mizermans post above. Study after study have shown that high voter turnout favors democrats. No surprise that republicans keep looking for ways to limit voter turnout. (For example the push to require picture ID at the time of voting). I have talked to a few democrat campaign managers in michigan. The consensus seems to be that they don't waste resources trying to change anyone's mind. They focus on getting people to the polls because they know that high turnout favors democrats.

[AmishRnot4ganja]

But they don't vote in the same proportion as educated or non-stupid people.

 

Voting habits are relevant here and have a lot to do with mizermans post above. Study after study have shown that high voter turnout favors democrats. No surprise that republicans keep looking for ways to limit voter turnout. (For example the push to require picture ID at the time of voting). I have talked to a few democrat campaign managers in michigan. The consensus seems to be that they don't waste resources trying to change anyone's mind. They focus on getting people to the polls because they know that high turnout favors democrats.

Interesting. I have to count myself as being in the realm of ignorant voters. I REALLY don't have enough information to make an informed choice. Politicians speak in circles and I think we don't get the whole story.