Ianfagerstrom

Here's the difference between decriminalization and legalization.

Decriminalization means there is still a penalty for everything associated with marijuana.

With legalization, every aspect of it, growing, selling, buying, is regulated by the government. And all of it is done completely legally.

Decriminalization can be a good thing, because it gets rid of some of the taboo, but it doesn't solve the root of the problem. When marijuana is decriminalized, it's still under prohibition.

Until it is eventually completely legalized, the problem still remains.

I believe that decriminalization is a necessary step before complete legalization, just because it's a process.

Always remember, the truth will set us free. The more facts that get mainstream attention, the more likely it will be legalized in our lifetime.

xxdr_zombiexx

Decrim is SUCH a scam.

It maintains the power of the police; it maintains the black market: We can still not legally "touch" marijuana and nobody can legally grow or provide it. It's a true non-step that the establishment would like.

Why?

Because it STILL totally prevents all the business applications of cannabis. Every single one of them. No farmer can grow the first plant under "decrim".

I wish people would get this stupid shit out of their noggins.

Work for real change.

Decrim is a scam.

__________________
Torture Good, Healthcare Bad, Marijuana Evil.

There's no money for your issue so long as we're squandering $50 billion a year on the DrugWar. Ben Masel

xxdr_zombiexx

Public opinion is not changing by "facts".

The American Public - including a large number of pot smokers and really intelligent people who should know better - is essentially fucked-up in the head about pot.

The last 40 years of fearmongering propaganda makes it virtually impossible for "facts" to work like people here think they should work, because EMOTIONS are in the way.

Reefer madness - anti-marijuana propaganda - is heavily emotionalized. It preys on fear, and guilt and shame - powerful human emotions. Americans cannot pay attention to facts or accept them as enthusiastically as you or me because they have not worked through the emotional stuff installed by years of emotionalized propaganda.

So people have to be challenged.

Basically, half the people you want to reach with your nice smorgasbords of documented facts, cannot proces those facts because whenever they start talking about this they get goofy. They have only propaganda talking points in their heads where we have the cannabis facts, verified and inarguable. But they are essentially histrionic, unable to talk about this issue.

Pushing Democratic politicians to TALK about it like sane people does 2 things:
a) It role models for people that american adults can talk rationally about this issue

b) When these politicians speak it will work its way into the maintream media, which is currently tasked with totally blacking out this topic.

Just understand that you cannot talk rationally to people who have fear and anxiety and nonsense in their heads. My plan, as exhibited on a thread I linked in a post above, is to piss off those who still cling to the fictions. When they get pissed enough they will attempt to defend their views.

Which they can't.

A caveat here is if liberals and progressives could have the same access/influence over TV that the GOP and Big Corporation have (which they clearly don't". There is no "liberal media", that's just one more lie from the Corporate media. We sure need a liberal media.

In america what's on TV more or less determines what is in the mainstream american's noggin.

And by "mainstream" I mean all those people that you and me wish to reach.

Ianfagerstrom

This is all true, and I agree with you. However, like I said above, decriminalization at least puts the issue on the table. Politicians understand that in order to make any progress, decrim ought to be the first step.

Like you very wisely said, people highly rely on emotion. When the word legalization comes up, it seems like a radical idea. The word decriminalization doesn't seem to have the same social stigma attached to it.

When the issue of marijuana comes up, politicians must be very careful so they don't turn off their constituents. By referring to it as medical marijuana, or mentioning decriminalization, they can talk about the subject without being ridiculed.

Once marijuana is decriminalized nationwide, it will only be a short time before people understand, and can get over their fears about legalization. Decriminalization may seem like a step backwards for some people, but I see any progress as forward progress.

The most important thing is for high powered politicians (Barack Obama) to come out and be 100% honest with the American people. Tell America that we've been lied to for almost a century. Tell them they have nothing to fear regarding marijuana, and present all the facts.

Lastly, it's important to understand that this is going to be a very slow process. People don't like to change their mind about much. Stubbornness is a common trait here in the USA. Change isn't going to happen overnight. It will take the collective efforts of citizens, politicians, and interest groups (NORML, MPP). It could take a long time. Nevertheless, I'm in it to win it, and we can never give up the fight.