Two House bills would end federal prohibition of marijuana

[Dexter]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/20/marijuana-legalization-congress_n_6722686.html

[ChrisChristie4Pres]

Its about damn time   

[Dexter]

Its about damn time   

Agreed, but will they pass? I think if Republicans shoot this down the Democrats are going to use it to their advantage. People want legal pot, especially young people.

[ABX]

It won't pass. Far too many tax dollars go to law enforcement to cut off that gravy train. Not to mention, the millions and millions seized in civil forfeiture laws. That stupid plant is a lucrative business.

[Dexter]

That stupid plant is a lucrative business.

Even more so if it were legal.

[alicewonders]

It is obvious that Democrats are using the legal marijuana issue to get young people BACK to the polls.  They're disillusioned with Obama.  They are putting this issue on the ballot in key states to get the youth out to vote - where they will probably end up voting straight Democrat ticket when they do.

These bills, being brought up by Democrats - they KNOW it won't pass - but it's a scheme to make the GOP the scapegoat on the issue.  Just another trick pony.  The Republicans should go ahead and pass it.  Legalization of marijuana is long - long overdue!

[ABX]

It is obvious that Democrats are using the legal marijuana issue to get young people BACK to the polls. 

The irony of the matter is that the Dems have had pretty much the same policy on pot as the Republicans. The Libertarians are the only consistent party in regards to legalization.

[truth_seeker]

Agreed, but will they pass? I think if Republicans shoot this down the Democrats are going to use it to their advantage. People want legal pot, especially young people.

My conservative Republican House rep., Dana Rohrabacher, stated on our city Facebook page yesterday, that he favored decriminalization/legalization.

And another prominent intelligent local man Judge James Gray (former Republican), on drug legalization:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_P._Gray

So much for your generalization, "if Republicans shoot this down."

[Luis Gonzalez]

I'm all for legalization.

If I have to put up with two more years of Obama, I want to be stoned.

[Dexter]

My conservative Republican House rep., Dana Rohrabacher, stated on our city Facebook page yesterday, that he favored decriminalization/legalization.

And another prominent intelligent local man Judge James Gray (former Republican), on drug legalization:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_P._Gray

So much for your generalization, "if Republicans shoot this down."

I know some Republicans support legalization, and that's good. That doesn't mean it's going to pass congress though, and if it doesn't the Democrats will surely use it against the Republicans.

[ABX]

So much for your generalization, "if Republicans shoot this down."

It will be like the government shutdown. Even though it really was the Dems who triggered it, it will be blamed on the Republicans.
If every Republican votes for decriminalization but one and every Democrat votes against it but one, the media will focus on that one Republican as trying to block it and that one Democrat as evidence of their supporting it.

[ABX]

I'm all for legalization.

If I have to put up with two more years of Obama, I want to be stoned.

I've evolved on the matter as well. I won't touch it and for the most part, don't want to be around stoned people, however, it is a stupid plant that grows out of the ground- not even like other drugs that need to be processed in a lab. The fact that a stupid plant that can grow wild is banned is asinine.

[Dexter]

It will be like the government shutdown. Even though it really was the Dems who triggered it, it will be blamed on the Republicans.
If every Republican votes for decriminalization but one and every Democrat votes against it but one, the media will focus on that one Republican as trying to block it and that one Democrat as evidence of their supporting it.

Republicans would take the blame for it because they control congress. People will see it as Republicans not being on board with legalization because it was within their power to legalize it and they didn't. If Democrats controlled congress and attempts to legalize weed were shot down it would be seen as the Democrats not being on board with legalization.

[musiclady]

It is obvious that Democrats are using the legal marijuana issue to get young people BACK to the polls.  They're disillusioned with Obama.  They are putting this issue on the ballot in key states to get the youth out to vote - where they will probably end up voting straight Democrat ticket when they do.
These bills, being brought up by Democrats - they KNOW it won't pass - but it's a scheme to make the GOP the scapegoat on the issue.  Just another trick pony.  The Republicans should go ahead and pass it.  Legalization of marijuana is long - long overdue!

I think you've gotten to the heart of the matter here, alice.

It's a trick pony designed to get the youth back.  Their 'messiah' has let them down.  Give them another reason to vote Dem.

[Dexter]

I think you've gotten to the heart of the matter here, alice.

It's a trick pony designed to get the youth back.  Their 'messiah' has let them down.  Give them another reason to vote Dem.

So obviously the best course of action is to not allow the Democrats this advantage. Being involved in the legalization of pot would do a lot to help Republicans.

[Luis Gonzalez]

I think you've gotten to the heart of the matter here, alice.

It's a trick pony designed to get the youth back.  Their 'messiah' has let them down.  Give them another reason to vote Dem.

The assumption here of course being that only the young think that weed should be legal.

There are a whole lot of old stoners that think the same.

[Dexter]

The assumption here of course being that only the young think that weed should be legal.

There are a whole lot of old stoners that think the same.

True, but weed is definitely more popular among young people. The majority of the sway will happen among young people.

[andy58-in-nh]

Regardless of whether individual states wish to allow their citizens to grow, harvest or smoke marijuana or else delimit the circumstances under which they may do so, it is absolutely no business of the Federal government, whose involvement has been extremely costly and ultimately useless. 

I'd rather the money wasted on drug enforcement be spent on border security and missiles aimed at terrorists.

I dare say such a strategy would resonate not only with the young who don't pay much in the way of taxes, but with those of us in the gray-haired community who do.

[Luis Gonzalez]

It will be like the government shutdown. Even though it really was the Dems who triggered it, it will be blamed on the Republicans.
If every Republican votes for decriminalization but one and every Democrat votes against it but one, the media will focus on that one Republican as trying to block it and that one Democrat as evidence of their supporting it.

We just had a vote on legalization in Florida these past elections. The initiative lost.

It was however an extraordinary threshold.

The initiative needed a minimum of 60% of the vote to pass.

The morning after the election, these were the headlines:

Florida voters reject medical marijuana

Yet, 57% of the voters voted "yes".

That's such BS.

[Luis Gonzalez]

True, but weed is definitely more popular among young people. The majority of the sway will happen among young people.

I don't know man.

[musiclady]

The assumption here of course being that only the young think that weed should be legal.

There are a whole lot of old stoners that think the same.

The assumption would be that the older one gets the wiser one gets, and that the young are more likely to be stoners than the few remaining in our generation.

Younger people tend to be more 'I want to do whatever I want to do and no one can stop me,' than those who have a bit more wisdom.

For the record, I am not for legalization of marijuana, but I am for lessening the penalties for possession and use of it.

(Not that it matters what I think about something I wouldn't use if my life depended on it.....)

[musiclady]

So obviously the best course of action is to not allow the Democrats this advantage. Being involved in the legalization of pot would do a lot to help Republicans.

Whatever.....


(Speaking in language your generation and political persuasion would understand).

[Dexter]

The assumption would be that the older one gets the wiser one gets, and that the young are more likely to be stoners than the few remaining in our generation.

Younger people tend to be more 'I want to do whatever I want to do and no one can stop me,' than those who have a bit more wisdom.

For the record, I am not for legalization of marijuana, but I am for lessening the penalties for possession and use of it.

(Not that it matters what I think about something I wouldn't use if my life depended on it.....)

The problem is legalization is happening one way or another; there's no way we're going to go backwards on this. Why not try to pull every advantage you can out of something that is in the process of happening anyway? There's no reason to allow it to become a weapon for the left to use against conservatives.

[Bigun]

In the year 1900 one could go into almost any apothecary shop in the country and buy anything you had the funds to pay for.  I say go back to that but keep in mind that doing so would require each individual to be responsible  for what occurs as the result!

[Dexter]

In the year 1900 one could go into almost any apothecary shop in the country and buy anything you had the funds to pay for.  I say go back to that but keep in mind that doing so would require each individual to be responsible  for what occurs as the result!