Legalize It....

Mr.Doobie · 04-28-2011, 10:16 PM

Marijuana. They should legalize it. If you disagree, you're lame.

Toy Killer · 05-06-2011, 01:43 PM

A compelling argument...?

Ignore the details of removing funds from drug cartels, (which promote violence, kidnapping, ****, murder, vandalism, Jaywalking, etc) Potential medicinal uses, that Weed is safer then Alcohol in almost every aspect and potentially empowering state's rights (California is being trampled by the DEA,as California can legally sell pot for medicinal purposes, but Its still illegal nationally). You don't want to be lame, now do you?

There, now you have a list of angles to pursue, other then the tricky lame approach.

XxCire_StarzxX · 06-13-2011, 08:22 PM

The government could make a shitload of money off of it, so they should just for themselves.

AshleyO · 06-17-2011, 05:21 PM

This is a horrible idea.

Mr.Doobie · 06-18-2011, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AshleyO

This is a horrible idea.

What, legalizing marijuana, or having the government be the only seller?

If it's the former, why? If it's the latter, then I agree with you.

BlacKat · 06-18-2011, 11:05 AM

Of course there's always what they do with tobacco - legalize it and then tax it to death.

Mr.Doobie · 06-18-2011, 07:03 PM

Actually, I think the best argument I've heard against legalizing it was an article I read once that pointed out legalizing marijuana would only serve to destroy pot culture. Once it becomes legal, pot will become just another corporation, taxed to death like tobacco, and small time dealers will be all but dead. You won't be able to have a personal relationship with your dealer, and whatever corporations take over the game will be passing out an overpriced, shit product (probably cut with all kinds of nasty shit like they do with cigarettes).

Legalizing it would be nice, but I am a little scared of what would happen after it's legal. Sure it would take the gangs and all the negative stuff out of it, but it might also suck all the positive aspects out of it.

Angelic Dissonance2 · 06-18-2011, 08:12 PM

What about the fact that anyone truly committed to marijuana culture attempts to grow at least once?

CptSternn · 06-18-2011, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Doobie

Actually, I think the best argument I've heard against legalizing it was an article I read once that pointed out legalizing marijuana would only serve to destroy pot culture. Once it becomes legal, pot will become just another corporation, taxed to death like tobacco, and small time dealers will be all but dead. You won't be able to have a personal relationship with your dealer, and whatever corporations take over the game will be passing out an overpriced, shit product (probably cut with all kinds of nasty shit like they do with cigarettes).

Legalizing it would be nice, but I am a little scared of what would happen after it's legal. Sure it would take the gangs and all the negative stuff out of it, but it might also suck all the positive aspects out of it.

Thats some silly shit. You are right, but those are problems I would like to have. It's like when people say money brings problems. It does, but sure, if I was a billionaire I would be happy to deal with those problems.

If it were legal and companies turned it into the next pop culture fad that is taxed ta feck, I would find it annoying, but nothing a few good spliffs wouldn't sort out sure.

Mr.Doobie · 06-19-2011, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CptSternn

Thats some silly shit. You are right, but those are problems I would like to have. It's like when people say money brings problems. It does, but sure, if I was a billionaire I would be happy to deal with those problems.

If it were legal and companies turned it into the next pop culture fad that is taxed ta feck, I would find it annoying, but nothing a few good spliffs wouldn't sort out sure.

Mostly it's the fact that corporations will be handing out a cheap, but shit product. It's what always happens whenever anything becomes viable on a corporate scale (look at produce).

I mean, it isn't that big of a deal, and I still would like to see it legalized, but you have to admit, corporations grabbing control of marijuana would be really disappointing.

CptSternn · 06-20-2011, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Doobie

Mostly it's the fact that corporations will be handing out a cheap, but shit product. It's what always happens whenever anything becomes viable on a corporate scale (look at produce).

I mean, it isn't that big of a deal, and I still would like to see it legalized, but you have to admit, corporations grabbing control of marijuana would be really disappointing.

But would they? Sure they would crank out their own labeled wrapped crappy products, but would there not be specialty bars as well?

Like the collectives in California and Colorado right now that mimic the pot bars in Amsterdam, would they not have specialty shops with a nice menu you can buy good stuff by the gram. They have tobacco shops like this in America even though they sell cigarettes sure.

Sinjob · 06-20-2011, 05:21 AM

Taxing pot? I already had to pay my man the other day extra just to drive out.

But I don't think it'd be too bad if they taxed it anyway, the fact it'd be smoked freely would mean alot more.

Renatus · 06-20-2011, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CptSternn

But would they? Sure they would crank out their own labeled wrapped crappy products, but would there not be specialty bars as well?

Like the collectives in California and Colorado right now that mimic the pot bars in Amsterdam, would they not have specialty shops with a nice menu you can buy good stuff by the gram. They have tobacco shops like this in America even though they sell cigarettes sure.

Actually from what I've heard recently, Amsterdam is actually making it so only locals can buy pot now. They even are cutting out their prostitution, though I cant remember to what extent. For some reason they're sick of the tourism dollars, it makes no sense.

Grausamkeit · 06-20-2011, 09:08 AM

There are already have shitheads who put glass in the bags to weight them down so they can sell you less. What the fuck could the government do that's much worse than mixing GLASS with pot?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sinjob

Taxing pot? I already had to pay my man the other day extra just to drive out.

But I don't think it'd be too bad if they taxed it anyway, the fact it'd be smoked freely would mean alot more.

QFT!

Saya · 06-20-2011, 01:00 PM

Plus god knows what else was put in it to give you a "better" high. If you trust your dealer and he's a good dealer, that shit won't happen, but I'd honestly rather go to a store and get a somewhat crappy product than try to find someone who isn't a skeezebag to sell me something decent.

I used to buy from a friend's boyfriend, he was nice and I knew he wouldn't do anything and he had good product, but then they broke up and I don't think he sells anymore anyway, and its a bitch trying to find someone else, especially since I smoke only once in a while and I don't really want to develop a relationship with someone just to get pot. And a lot of dealers even if they aren't sketchy don't seem to know the different strains of pot very well.

vindicatedxjin · 06-21-2011, 06:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Doobie

Marijuana. They should legalize it. If you disagree, you're lame.

Cheers to this!

CptSternn · 06-21-2011, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renatus

Actually from what I've heard recently, Amsterdam is actually making it so only locals can buy pot now. They even are cutting out their prostitution, though I cant remember to what extent. For some reason they're sick of the tourism dollars, it makes no sense.

Well sorta.

Starting next year they are trying to intoduce a lw that says you must be a member of a pot bar to buy pot there. Membership will only be open to locals with a local address.

That being said there are already lawsuits in their courts fighting this on constitutional grounds so we will see what happens there as it is still very much up in the air.

Per the red light districts, they are shutting down large chunks and implementing more restrictions there as well.

Why is all of this happening? During the last election the right-wing there played to the fears of immigrants coming in and taking over. They used Muslims and Eastern Europeans as scapegoats for all of the countries problems and promised to fix immigration if elected. They got elected and what was the first item of business? Shutting down the pot tourism industry and sex industry, as after all, they are right-wing bastards who think they are better than everyone else and are going out of their way to destroy anything they disagree with. Funny thing is, since they have been in office they haven't touched on the immigration issue as they have been too busy passing laws banning citizens from drinking, smoking, and having sex.

They were also responsible for having beer banned from pot bars and tobacco as well.

We will see how it goes next election.

Still Jack · 06-21-2011, 08:52 AM

I don't understand taxation as it is. The government seems to think that by allowing the citizen to have something they deserve to get some profit off it for zero work.

Grausamkeit · 06-21-2011, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Still Jack

I don't understand taxation as it is. The government seems to think that by allowing the citizen to have something they deserve to get some profit off it for zero work.

It's not for zero work, though. It pays for things like welfare, social security, public libraries, schools, roads. Medicare eats a lot of it because people are just living too damn long these days. It's too bad firefighters get paid so little for the jobs they do. They should get more money than the damn elderly.

Uh, anyway....if you want to enjoy public benefits you have to pay taxes. I think we should be spending a lot more money(taxes!) on rehabilitating people who go into our prison systems and providing better public healthcare for the mentally ill so that they don't have to go without their meds and end up in prison for minor infractions. Rather than taxing luxuries like cigarettes or alcohol, it should be an overall raising of taxes instead of seeming to punish a certain group of people for their harmless vices. But society doesn't like that idea because a lot of them are greedy dicks.

CptSternn · 06-21-2011, 10:54 AM

There was a study done a few months ago that was shocking. America is spending 10x as much on each prison inmate than it does on school students. They also have 10x more inmates than students in America.

America gives a crappy education, then offers a horrible welfare system that doesn't even touch what every other nation has, has no national health care, and doesn'thave a living wage - all of which leads to people engaging in crime, at which point it then spends ten times the amount on the individual.

If that money was spent when they were young making sure they had food on the table, proper healthcare, good schools, etc. then what do ye think the odds would be many would not end up in prison to begin with?

But thats not the American way. They starve the middle class and drive them to make bad choices and then lock them away while a small group of defence contractors laugh all the way to the bank. Ye do know American prisons are run by the same companies which supply American troops around the world don't you? The same contractors and companies profiteering in Iraq are the same ones doing it to the 15% of Americans who are in prison or will be in prison during their lifespan.

Pineapple_Juice · 06-21-2011, 01:57 PM

Isn't there something in the law they tried to pass wherein one could grow one's own weed in a 2x2 space or something?

Still Jack · 06-21-2011, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grausamkeit

It's not for zero work, though. It pays for things like welfare, social security, public libraries, schools, roads. Medicare eats a lot of it because people are just living too damn long these days. It's too bad firefighters get paid so little for the jobs they do. They should get more money than the damn elderly.

Uh, anyway....if you want to enjoy public benefits you have to pay taxes. I think we should be spending a lot more money(taxes!) on rehabilitating people who go into our prison systems and providing better public healthcare for the mentally ill so that they don't have to go without their meds and end up in prison for minor infractions. Rather than taxing luxuries like cigarettes or alcohol, it should be an overall raising of taxes instead of seeming to punish a certain group of people for their harmless vices. But society doesn't like that idea because a lot of them are greedy dicks.

Yeah, I get that. But I think taxation should be proportional. i.e you only pay tax for the services that you yourself use.
For instance: Road tax. I have no problem with it as I use roads almost every day.
But for instance that tax goes on education or whatever. I don't think it's fair that some people pay for some other randomers education.

Saya · 06-21-2011, 02:49 PM

So the only people who pay for social security and welfare are those on welfare? Who's income is coming from welfare?

Still Jack · 06-21-2011, 03:05 PM

Of course in some cases exceptions have to be made. I just feel strongly that taxation as a whole is generally unfair.
For instance petrol. You pay petrol tax, but what do you get in return? fuck all , that's what.

CptSternn · 06-21-2011, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Still Jack

Of course in some cases exceptions have to be made. I just feel strongly that taxation as a whole is generally unfair.
For instance petrol. You pay petrol tax, but what do you get in return? fuck all , that's what.

It's a big picture kinda thing.

Originally taxes paid mostly for defence, back centuries ago. These days you have a long list of other services which need to be paid for that come from taxes. Like food safety inspectors and other health inspectors, engineers who check bridges and other structures, public schools, public doctors and health workers (in some countries), and other important things which are needed in a civilised society.

You are getting back on your investment, as a community. Some taxes like the petrol tax are considered what is called a 'luxury tax', like taxes on tobacco and alcohol. Professional drivers and even people who drive to and from work can claim back their petrol tax at the end of the year, but people who are using petrol not for work related purposes can't, as that is considered a luxury.

Luxury taxes are thrown into the mix and pay for the aforementioned services.

It's a good system, but you are right on one thing - watching the government frivolously spend money and make such bad decisions makes you wonder why you pay taxes at all.