Legalizing Marijuana back in limelight

[alltherage]

Pass it over here.

[flip]

Originally Posted by mikey_the_redneck

Why do you think the quality would go down?

Because the quality would go down. The government fails at everything. Their banks lose money while others make billions, their insurance companies lose money while others make billions etc.

I'm high right now on some quality stuff. Plan on getting high again tomorrow night.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by flip

Because the quality would go down. The government fails at everything. Their banks lose money while others make billions, their insurance companies lose money while others make billions etc.

I'm high right now on some quality stuff. Plan on getting high again tomorrow night.

This is very evident right now.

Tomorrow when you read this post can you explain to me how anyone losing money on banking in this economic climate would somehow relate to their ability to grow pot? I guess there are a lot more unemployed people that could be practicing right now, but I somehow doubt that is your point.

[Thor]

Originally Posted by flip

Because the quality would go down. The government fails at everything. Their banks lose money while others make billions, their insurance companies lose money while others make billions etc.

I'm high right now on some quality stuff. Plan on getting high again tomorrow night.

Hmm, why is it that we have beers of all kinds, quality, alcohol %, etc.. We have liquors/spirits from low quality to high quality, again varying proofs.

Why do you assume that privatization would look anything different from a liquor store you see today?

You'd have 10-50 different strains, you'd have various potencies, various quality (based on reviews) and the cool and uncool ones. People would buy cheap weed and there would be some company filling a niche of the 'best' weed out there much like the top tier whiskey, scotch, or champagne.

I can't imagine how you could explain that weed would not evolve into exactly what the liquor industry is like, its the same situation.

[longsuffering]

Originally Posted by flip

Because the quality would go down. The government fails at everything. Their banks lose money while others make billions, their insurance companies lose money while others make billions etc.

I'm high right now on some quality stuff. Plan on getting high again tomorrow night.

The government doesn't brew our beer or distill our spirits, what makes you think they would be the growers?

[Jets4Life]

I cannot understand why some people think driving while high is not as bad as driving while drunk. Both drugs hinder your ability to drive. I cannot understand why some people think they can work better while high. I certainly can't. Having said that, marijuana should be decriminalized at the very least, and perhaps legalized, with the same laws applying to marijuana as alcohol.

I've read the the conservative government is trying to pass Bill C-15, which would create mandatory minimums for people growing as little as one plant, which I think is incredibly stupid, considering mandatory minimum sentences have failed miserably in the United States.

All this would do is overcrowd the prison system, and increase the workload for an already taxed justice system. Why is Harper looking at the US drug policy, which has been a complete failure, and not looking to the way the Europeans have handled this issue is beyond me.

[3 Justin 3]

Make it like the Netherlands, "tolerate" it. Although I don't think I could handle being baked for the next 20 years.

[llama64]

If they legalize Marijuana, it means they have to keep tobacco legal as well.

I say ban both and let the rest of us breath some what fresh air.

Or make it so that you have to use vaporizers...

[Russic]

Ya I could see the problem if the government was distributing and growing the weed themselves as they tried to do with the medicinal stuff, but this isn't the same situation.

[Agamemnon]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Because there's no way in hell it wouldn't be regulated by potentcy. Just like smokes and booze.

I suppose I'd dispute this... alcohol and tobacco aren't really regulated for potency. I think tobacco is treated in various ways to increase it's natural potency, and you can buy liquor so strong it will make you blind (or kill you). I have a tough time believing the government would say 'only crappy weed is allowed'... people would just stick to growing it themselves. It's the same as if the govt said only 1% booze was allowed to be sold, you'd find illegal liquor everywhere in the 5-40% range.

Taxes. Do you think the government would just legalize it and let capitalism decide the prices? The taxes would be similar to tobacco. There's a reason nobody grows their own cigarettes.

To be honest, if the government taxed weed to the point where it was more expensive than the current illegal system, the illegal system would just stay in place. When the government increases taxes on tobacco products, illegal tobacco smuggling results. It would be pointless to legalize weed, then tax it back into the black market.

As to the 'growing their own cigarettes', the reason nobody does this is it's not practical or convenient in the quantities you'd need. Growing your own weed is. Also, marijuana smokers smoke straight weed off the plant, cigarettes need to be commercially processed and poisoned to get the 'real thing', tough to do at home.

Clearly you run in similar circles as I do. You know a few small time dealers. Don't tell me that any one of them would just simply resort to putting in more hours at the post office to supplement the income they earn from selling weed. We all know that they sell it to pay for their own habit, and/or to make a few extra bucks. If they're already inclined to break the rules "a little bit", what makes you think that legalizing pot is going to cause these folks to just suddenly get a job at the local gas station to supplement their income?

Fair point... I guess my point of view is that the average guy (or gal) who sells weed, and sees this disappear with legalization, probably won't immediately switch to selling crack or heroin. Sure these people are hustlers and need to make a buck, but selling crack isn't the same as selling weed... I doubt crack/coke/meth consumption would go up because of all the out of work weed dealers switching to those products.

[PsYcNeT]

Originally Posted by Agamemnon

Fair point... I guess my point of view is that the average guy (or gal) who sells weed, and sees this disappear with legalization, probably won't immediately switch to selling crack or heroin. Sure these people are hustlers and need to make a buck, but selling crack isn't the same as selling weed... I doubt crack/coke/meth consumption would go up because of all the out of work weed dealers switching to those products.

The ones who would/could sell crack/coke/meth/e etc already are. Small timers (those who deal in less than 1/4 lbs. or so) definately wouldn't move into harder realms once it's legalized, because if they wanted to run that risk, it's already available to them.

There are far more terrifying consequences to selling drugs that aren't pot.

[flip]

Originally Posted by Rathji

This is very evident right now.

Tomorrow when you read this post can you explain to me how anyone losing money on banking in this economic climate would somehow relate to their ability to grow pot? I guess there are a lot more unemployed people that could be practicing right now, but I somehow doubt that is your point.

I think you totally misunderstood my post because I have no idea what you are talking about. All I said is that when the gov privatizes things they fail at it.

The current economic climate has nothing to do with this, I'm talking about privatization.

If the government has control of marijuana sales they will inevitably fail horribly at it, unless they deregulate it enough that any random off the street can start their own weed business because then people who specialize at growing will be able to continue, however since most of them are currently involved in an illegal activity I'm not sure the goverment would want to do business with them.

Originally Posted by Thor

Hmm, why is it that we have beers of all kinds, quality, alcohol %, etc.. We have liquors/spirits from low quality to high quality, again varying proofs.

Why do you assume that privatization would look anything different from a liquor store you see today?

You'd have 10-50 different strains, you'd have various potencies, various quality (based on reviews) and the cool and uncool ones. People would buy cheap weed and there would be some company filling a niche of the 'best' weed out there much like the top tier whiskey, scotch, or champagne.

I can't imagine how you could explain that weed would not evolve into exactly what the liquor industry is like, its the same situation.

This is possible, however I doubt the government will deregulate weed as much as they have liquor. I highly doubt if it gets legalized or semi legalized that you'll see do it yourself stores pop up everywhere like we have with wine maker stores etc.

Originally Posted by longsuffering

The government doesn't brew our beer or distill our spirits, what makes you think they would be the growers?

All indications from medicinal grow ops lead me to believe this. I could be wrong though. Also like I said above I think weed will be much more regulated than alcohol. If weed is legalized it surely won't be available at every corner store in the country, the government will have to set up specific places to buy and we've all seen how well that works in provinces with provincially owned liquor stores (FAIL).

[Agamemnon]

Originally Posted by flip

I think you totally misunderstood my post because I have no idea what you are talking about. All I said is that when the gov privatizes things they fail at it.

The current economic climate has nothing to do with this, I'm talking about privatization.

Well... kind of tough to talk about privatization when it's not a Crown Corporation or Government industry... I think the issue is more over legalization. I think it's implied that if marijuana were legal, private entities would be allowed to grow it. The government wouldn't be growing it. The liquor/tobacco industries seem to be ticking right along even with government regulation.

If the government has control of marijuana sales they will inevitably fail horribly at it, unless they deregulate it enough that any random off the street can start their own weed business because then people who specialize at growing will be able to continue, however since most of them are currently involved in an illegal activity I'm not sure the goverment would want to do business with them.

No reason to assume the government would have this control or responsibility. There'd be no reason for the government to grow it. They'd allow companies to grow it, then tax them. Current growers would just create a company and keep growing. The government wouldn't have to 'deal' with them beyond collecting legal tax revenue.

This is possible, however I doubt the government will deregulate weed as much as they have liquor. I highly doubt if it gets legalized or semi legalized that you'll see do it yourself stores pop up everywhere like we have with wine maker stores etc.

Weed isn't regulated, so it can't be deregulated. It's a legalization issue, not a regulation/privatization issue. And yes, if it were legalized, you'd find it sold in retail outlets (Mac's).

All indications from medicinal grow ops lead me to believe this. I could be wrong though. Also like I said above I think weed will be much more regulated than alcohol. If weed is legalized it surely won't be available at every corner store in the country, the government will have to set up specific places to buy and we've all seen how well that works in provinces with provincially owned liquor stores (FAIL).

There'd be no point in legalizing weed, then monopolizing the production/distribution. There's already a gigantic illegal marketplace set up for buying/selling weed, if the government stuff wasn't up to snuff either at quality or price, people would just revert back to the current system.

I'm not sure why people think the government would legalize it, then assert control that somehow lowers quality or raises price. If they did either people would just continue along the current (illegal) path to acquiring weed, so what would be the point?