Legal Minds Vote For Legalizing Pot

Source: Forbes

On Tuesday voters in the Golden State will be able to decide if marijuana will remain an illegal drug by voting for or against Prop. 19 on the California ballot. Prop. 19 has gotten the attention of groups all around the country, and those hoping to "legalize it" don't exactly fit the cliché of dreadlocked, jobless, munchie-craving stoners.

Thousands of miles away from California's borders, in one of the squarest, lamest and most uptight cities in the nation (Washington, D.C.), law students at one of America's most prestigious universities are making the "intelligent" argument for legalization. Members of Georgetown University's Students for a Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) have devoted some of their time this week to calling voters in California and urging them to vote "yes" on Prop. 19.

"It's not a bunch of hippies sitting around," said one of the members of the group, who asked to remain anonymous to not draw attention to himself. "We all have short hair. Many of us have pretty anti-hippie aspirations after law school. Some of us want to do corporate law, or tax law or even litigation once we get our law degrees," he said. He added that he voted for George W. Bush twice and tends to vote along Libertarian ideologies.

The arguments the members make for legalization all involve economics, law enforcement and legitimizing the legal system. Of course that last point is part of the organization's argument. After all, these people eat, drink and breathe legal issues all day.

Read more: http://www.forbes.com/2010/11/01/proposition-19-california-technology-marijuana.html

as soon as the government and Big Pharma figure out way to bastardize copyright and/or patent laws, it will be legalized. It's friggen weed for crying out loud so it presents a dilemma for them.

Other than to incarcerate poor, minorities and make money for the privatized prison system there isn't a way to make $ for them.

I'm not legal expert so maybe I'm wrong on some or all points. Just my 2 cents.

Just to dip their toes in it - the should at least decriminalize pot. Booze kills and ruins more lives than pot ever could, but look at all the money it generates. Not only from the consumption of the multitude of it's use and abuse.

I rest my case. :hippie:

The present situation is good for certain parties, drug warriors, private prison outfits, demagogue politicians, pharmaceutical companies, among many others. But it is not good for the country as a whole. There are a lot of "special interests" that stand to lose if pot is de-criminalized, and once that is done, there will be no going back, it was racist bullshit in the beginning, and it has always been a political football, a tool for political division.

I think the argument made in the OP, that restoring the legitimacy of government in this country requires the rationalization of drug policy, particulary WRT pot, is sound. A democratic society cannot criminalize large portions of its own citizenry without losing its legitimacy. In the end, a democratic society cannot be governed without the consent of the vast majority of the governed, we are a long way from that now.

My understanding is that most of them don't want it legalized.

And it's easy to see why. If anybody can grow their own, it's going to hurt pricing and sales, and right now there are a lot of people growing to make ends meet.

with legal alcohol. Plus, the whole industrial hemp agricultural market. The anti's are cretins.

that I truly do not have a opinion on one way or the other, although I dont think I will ever understand why people feel the need to alter their state of mind, whether it is with drugs or alcohol.

I don't smoke either. Did in the 60's but, it didn't lead me to LSD or Crack and I didn't kill anyone.

But, I do get your point and it's a good one. Live and let live is my motto as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else.

and I dont like to take drugs unnecessarily either. When I had my wisdom teeth out, I took the pain drugs once and didn't like the way they made my "loopy" so I just dealt with the small amount of pain I felt.

makes me sick as a dog. Vomiting, awful. Ibuprofren is all I'll take for that.

I guess like anything we put into our bodies all of us react differently. I don't know why some people continue to drink when it makes them sick and they're on their knees hugging the porcelain the next day but, whatever.

:hi: friend.

People take drugs for pain, for depression, to wake up, to go to sleep, for lots of things.

I'm 72 and haven't experimented with marijuana since I was 35. That was at a surgical and medical staff party thrown by a neurosurgeon from my ex-husband's hospital in Toronto. Hmmmmm. Wonder where they all are now.

There are other uses. Like medical. I was unable to get pot legally in a Canadian hospital when I was unable to eat (cancer). Lost 50 lbs before friends brought me a tea made of marijuana, and cookies. Saved my life. I hear it's good for pain, glaucoma. Once it's legal there will be other benefits besides getting high.

Not dealers, not cops, not jails, not taxes, just about freedom.

:applause:

8^D

...are among the most logical and thoughtful people I've met.

PB

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because the U.S. has a huge say in drug policies in other nations as well.

I am really happy that this proposition was on the ballot this election year, whether it wins or not. I do hope it wins, but if it doesn't -- 2012 will have another initiative on the ballot and people will have learned from this year. Hopefully other states legislatures will act in the meantime to modify their laws to reflect reality rather than right wing propaganda.

simply having proposition 19 on the ballot, however, has provoked a nationwide conversation about this issue - a conversation that is long overdue.

the end of prohibition for marijuana is coming and smart politicians will deal with this reality by working on policies that smooth the transition.

One thing the Obama administration should do, no matter what the outcome, is initiate rescheduling hearings on cannabis to reflect its current acceptance as a substance with medical value - there is no denying this fact when cannabis extract prescriptions are available in other nations (and would be available here, as well, without the interference of federal agencies like the DEA.) The AMA itself has suggested looking at this issue. The American Medical Asso. has far more validity as a body to deal with this subject than the DEA - the DEA isn't licensed to prescribe anything. They are tasked to uphold (in this case) a ridiculous law.

People are not going to back down, yet again.

The continued prohibition of marijuana creates disdain (and rightfully so) for the law because the law is unjust.

I hope Californians will surprise us all - since the polls seem to indicate passage is not reflected in the latest polls. But it can pass - and if you know someone who has not yet voted, please call them and ask them to vote. Offer them a ride if they need it. (I'm giving two people rides tomorrow to their polling places - and not so that they can vote on this proposition.)