Marijuana.com

Plainsman1963

Pot amendment deserves a 'no'
Amendment 44 is bad policy
10-08-06 | RockyMountainNews.Com

There must be hundreds of things that sensible Coloradans believe would benefit this state, but surely one of them is not an infusion of more illegal drugs. Yet here we are, thanks to Amendment 44, poised as a state to vote on whether we should make it easier to get high on marijuana.
It's an atrocious idea and deserves a resounding defeat.

Amendment 44 would legalize under state law the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana for adults who are 21 and older. But of course federal laws involving marijuana would remain in place. And it would still be illegal under a variety of statutes to buy or grow marijuana (except for medicinal use), so the only way someone could "legally" possess the substance would be by breaking other laws.

That's the first problem with Amendment 44: It encourages people to enter the illicit drug market.

But the bigger problem with the measure is that it is based on faulty premises.

• It is simply not true, as the measure's advocates suggest, that law enforcement in this state devotes any significant amount of time or resources pursuing minor possession cases unrelated to serious crimes.

• It is not true that Coloradans are being incarcerated or otherwise punished harshly for minor marijuana possession. Possession of under an ounce is already a petty offense.

• It is not true that marijuana is a harmless alternative to alcohol. Alcohol is dangerous when abused, but marijuana can be dangerous, too. Too many people become psychologically addicted to its drug. Some users get into accidents or otherwise endanger themselves. Some become intrigued with harder, more addicting drugs and begin to experiment with them.

Ah, but isn't the present ban on marijuana equivalent to a double standard given the many accidents, crimes and other social problems associated with alcohol, which is not only legal but widely sold and promoted?

Maybe, but maybe not.

We simply don't know what the social costs of marijuana would be if it were as widely used as alcohol - but we can be certain they'd be significant. Why would Colorado want to be the guinea pig in resolving this question?

What bothers us as much as anything about Amendment 44 is the message it would send to teens, and the possible spike in marijuana use among them if it were to pass. The national trend in teen use of marijuana in recent years actually has been fairly encouraging. The war on drugs may be much ridiculed as a hopeless cause, but people do in fact respond to reasonable arguments about why they should stay sober. Even kids respond - which is extremely important since early drug use is the gravest warning sign of possible addiction problems to come.

Passage of Amendment 44 would signal that voters in Colorado, despite the anti-drug messages they insist on being preached in schools, in fact do not believe there is much of a downside to marijuana use. And if there isn't, kids will reasonably wonder, why not check it out?

We don't think there is a double standard in our position, but if there is then so be it. More drug use is not one of the many things that might improve this state.

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"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards." - Claire Wolfe

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Buzzby

If Amendment 44 passes they wouldn't be illegal drugs, genius.

It's already very easy. The only thing that would be easier is that we wouldn't have to be worried about The Man as much.

The DEA has already stated that they won't prosecute personal-use level possession cases. They're only concerned with big grows and big shipments. I've never heard of anyone getting busted for buying marijuana. They get busted for sales, cultivation, or possession. Amendment 44 would take care of minor possession.

If you don't want people involved with the black market, legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana the same way you do tobacco and alcohol.

Nationwide, 750,000 people get arrested for marijuana crimes every year. Are they all involved in "serious crimes"? No. 88% of these busts are for simple possession.

Why should it be any kind of offense? Should people suffer just because you like one kind of recreational drug and they prefer a different one?

This is a "Straw Man" argument. SAFER, the organization that promoted this ballot issue, never claimed that marijuana is harmless, only that it's safer than alcohol.

Exactly how can we be certain that they'd be "significant". Prior to 1937, marijuana was legal and was not a social problem.

Progress has to start somewhere. Why not the highly Libertarian state of Colorado? The voters will decide if Colorado is going to be the testing ground for a different approach

The message is the same as the message of having alcohol legal for adults: "Recreational intoxicants are an adult privilege. They're not for minors."

Recent studies have shown that DARE graduates use illegal drugs at the same rate as those who never experienced the program. The $120 million/year ONDCP TV ad campaign is worthless or worse: a study showed that some teens are encouraged to try pot because of them.

Perhaps because there isn't much of a downside. Schools should be teaching the facts about drugs, that they're not a good idea for teenagers, and that recreational drug use (including, especially, alcohol) should always be done in moderation.

They will anyway. I'd much rather have my child experimenting with marijuana than getting drunk. Marijuana is non-addictive. Marijuana is non-toxic. Marijuana does not facilitate assault, rape, or murder. Marijuana is much less a danger to all concerned if a user decides to get behind the wheel of a car.

"It may not be fair, but it's OK with me!" Why do people have so much trouble accepting that other people might have different preferences than their own?

It might be if people switch from alcohol to marijuana. I know a guy who loves pot but has a job that requires him to take random drug tests. So he became an alcoholic. He, and the people around him, would be much better off if he could use the much safer drug that he prefers.

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Wafting Genie

Exactly....Thank you.....I now drink and smoke cigarettes thanks to people like you who think that MJ is such a bad thing. With your 50's attitude and mentality, you have given me no choice but to bow to the corporate regulations and get hooked on nicotine and alcohol while the upper escholonge (sp?) keeps doing whatever they want. Things that make MJ look like childs play.
You can get in a wreck and KILL people with alcohol, snort coke all day and stay out of jail, X your brains out and rave all night but don't get caught with no joint! The people that regulate what and when we get to enjoy our few luxuries (sp?) are no better than we are. These are the same people who love to show others how much power they have while they hide behind their tin badges. They claim to "Protect and Serve" while all the while watching the neighborhood for any infraction, organise themselves into legal gangs, doing what they want and whenever they feel the need to, and drill us constantly with pro-police tv programming.
In other words they treat everyone like children, and find it impossible to comprehend that there ARE Responsible Marijuana Smokers. Like I have said, it will be up to the discretion of the employer. duh! no you are not going to be able to get high and work offshore, in a plant that deals with dangerous chemicals or any kind of an energy release, the coast guard or any military installation.

The reason cultivation is more of an offense is that now you are getting your weed for free and there is no money that can be taken.

Buzzby

What about the choice not to get hooked on anything? You can blame the government for a lot of things, but blaming them for your own bad choices is not one of them. The vast majority of adults do not smoke cigarettes and drink only in moderation.

1tokeovertheline

Amen.....

Amen.....

And Amen.. Very good Buzzby. Another one of your classic posts. Keep up the good work.

 

^_^truth

Is it just me, or is this the same damn argument we see everytime any lessening of regulations is put on the table: "Think of the Kids!"

Its always the same too: Marijuana is illegal now, because we say its bad, therefore if we make it legal it kids will think its ok.

Maybe the fear is more along the lines of: If we go back on this then kids will start to question if we are right about other things! Oh lord we can't have the next generation deciding not to follow in our footsteps, because we are so high and mighty. Just keep thinking that Rome...just keep thinking that.

Honestly, I don't care about your fucking (pardon my language) kids. It isn't my job or the government's to raise your kids, that is your job. And if you aren't qualified to do your job and have to rely on the government, maybe you should re-address your priorities.

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Sorry about that rant, I just hate the damn excuse of "Think about the Childern" everytime progress is on the line

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Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule.
Nietzsche