A Smarter Way to Deal with Pot Than Arresting 20 Million People

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

I'm with the UI chapter of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy which is a national organization on campuses. We believe that the war on drugs is a war on students. We air the documentary film, "Grass", narrated by Woody Harrelson to chronologically show the legislation in regards to pot from local to federal. We are for the decriminalization of marijuania. College is a period of experimentation for many and there have been rings of operations since the 1960's targets towards students during this vunderable time. Some of the people entraped have been inprisoned for a decade mearly for trying recreational drugs while rapists and murders get out before them. Now does that seem like justice? Having any drug related offense also makes students ineligable for federal financial aide. Whole lives are ruined because of the harsh legislation.

Part of the issue of why they have not revisited the legislation is because there would be a mad amount of appeals and the courts would be flooded with sorting them out.

I am not for the legalization of it as much as I am for the decriminalization of it.

The violence along our southern boarder is another reason of why I believe it is failed legislation.

Currently there are a handful of states that go against the federal legislation and allow you to grow your own or have up to a certain amount on you. Two of those states I know for certain are Oregon and Alaska.

Edited November 17, 2008 by Olivia*

[mawilson 2,133]

I think the argument missed by some is that the decriminalization and the increased tax revenue aspects alone would create quite a windfall surplus to cover other areas to increase funding of more critical areas of law enforcement, social upkeep, etc.

Spot on, HAL.

Why not criminalize it even more, put more people in jail and make them work for free to create a windfall surplus?

Why stop with marijuana....lets criminalize alcohol again...because it worked so well before.

Too many alcoholics, not enough prisons.

More free workers...think forward, man.

You hit diminishing returns after a certain point. The pool of prison labor is a relatively unskilled one.

[HAL 9000 96]

I think the argument missed by some is that the decriminalization and the increased tax revenue aspects alone would create quite a windfall surplus to cover other areas to increase funding of more critical areas of law enforcement, social upkeep, etc.

Spot on, HAL.

Why not criminalize it even more, put more people in jail and make them work for free to create a windfall surplus?

Why stop with marijuana....lets criminalize alcohol again...because it worked so well before.

Too many alcoholics, not enough prisons.

More free workers...think forward, man.

You hit diminishing returns after a certain point. The pool of prison labor is a relatively unskilled one.

HAL 9000 remembers a couple of prison programs where inmates manned customer service phones for several companies in the States.

[mawilson 2,133]

HAL 9000 remembers a couple of prison programs where inmates manned customer service phones for several companies in the States.

Better than outsourcing those jobs to India - still, relatively unskilled.

[HAL 9000 96]

HAL 9000 remembers a couple of prison programs where inmates manned customer service phones for several companies in the States.

Better than outsourcing those jobs to India - still, relatively unskilled.

Just imagine the possibilities... call in to disconnect phone service at [name your address] and Inmate X tells you, you don't want to do that.

[mawilson 2,133]

HAL 9000 remembers a couple of prison programs where inmates manned customer service phones for several companies in the States.

Better than outsourcing those jobs to India - still, relatively unskilled.

Just imagine the possibilities... call in to disconnect phone service at [name your address] and Inmate X tells you, you don't want to do that.

So? I'd be more worried about some guy in India stealing my identity.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Also of note: it was a big CEO, Bill Hearst, who actually was driving-force behind illegalisation of charas--because he had much invested in timber-paper firms, which supplied cent-percent of his newsprint stock (so as to eliminate competition from charas-based paper).

I'd always heard it was something to do with Dupont and rope making. I've also heard it was to discourage immigration from Mexico. Who knows.

BTW you are correct JENN in the documentary,"GRASS", they cite that in the early 1900 there was an migration from the Mexico who were smoking and introducing this "wacky tabbacy" to the ranch hands. Many people on farms and in cities liked it and we're beginning to smoke it in favor of cigs.

[HAL 9000 96]

HAL 9000 remembers a couple of prison programs where inmates manned customer service phones for several companies in the States.

Better than outsourcing those jobs to India - still, relatively unskilled.

Just imagine the possibilities... call in to disconnect phone service at [name your address] and Inmate X tells you, you don't want to do that.

So? I'd be more worried about some guy in India stealing my identity.

*COMPUTERIZED LOL*

Or an ex con coming to whack you. You'd be amazed what information can be safely gleaned from phone company records. Remember there are VJers that specialize in getting their friends to find you where you are and get you.

[mawilson 2,133]

HAL 9000 remembers a couple of prison programs where inmates manned customer service phones for several companies in the States.

Better than outsourcing those jobs to India - still, relatively unskilled.

Just imagine the possibilities... call in to disconnect phone service at [name your address] and Inmate X tells you, you don't want to do that.

So? I'd be more worried about some guy in India stealing my identity.

*COMPUTERIZED LOL*

Or an ex con coming to whack you. You'd be amazed what information can be safely gleaned from phone company records. Remember there are VJers that specialize in getting their friends to find you where you are and get you.

The same information that can be gleaned from a phone directory?

[HAL 9000 96]

HAL 9000 remembers a couple of prison programs where inmates manned customer service phones for several companies in the States.

Better than outsourcing those jobs to India - still, relatively unskilled.

Just imagine the possibilities... call in to disconnect phone service at [name your address] and Inmate X tells you, you don't want to do that.

So? I'd be more worried about some guy in India stealing my identity.

*COMPUTERIZED LOL*

Or an ex con coming to whack you. You'd be amazed what information can be safely gleaned from phone company records. Remember there are VJers that specialize in getting their friends to find you where you are and get you.

The same information that can be gleaned from a phone directory?

Oh no... much more information.

Besides, the entire point is having personal information at the hands of 'criminals.'

[SaadBell 0]

Why we don't legalize marijuana is mostly financial, trust me if they legalized weed tomorrow and sold it in stores, you would make a killing on it, tax it and get out of the mess we are in. Yes you can grow it, but it takes some effort, and if you can go to the store and buy some hydro, I know for a fact, cause I for one am lazy and it takes a while for the plant to produce the THC, people will buy it more than grow it. In the winter in cold places, you need a grow room lights, and timers, this is not just sticking a seed in the ground, it takes some work and practice. Marijuana is much safer than alcohol and you don't see any violence when there is a group of people just smoking some herb, but if you have a bunch of people sitting around hammering down some booze, give it a few hours, someone will get pissed off, and with alcohol there always is a lovely ending with someone hitting someone else. The majority of folks have no history on the drug and only listen to the propaganda the government has shoved down their throats. Learn the facts and know the real truth of the drug wars and why we love to incarnate people for non-violent drug offenses. American has more people in prisons than any other country in the world, we out do south Africa, Russia, and not by a little bit, but a whole lot. Stop this madness.

[Ban Hammer 13,703]

I think the argument missed by some is that the decriminalization and the increased tax revenue aspects alone would create quite a windfall surplus to cover other areas to increase funding of more critical areas of law enforcement, social upkeep, etc.

Spot on, HAL.

glad to see someone is thinking ahead about the loss of tax revenue that is occurring as more and more quit. 13 billion a year and dropping.........

Indeed, Charles brings up an interesting point to ponder... More and more quit = more cost savings in health care costs associated with less use. Also, more funds available to invest in non-marijuana economics.

Less tax revenue coming from something that was previously not generating any tax revenue to begin with? Or less tax revenue coming from something that previously would have generated more expenses in law enforcement dedicating time to investigating, arresting, and prosecuting criminals? HAL 9000 believes the answer makes for good, rational logic.

uh no, that's not it. with decreased tax revenue from cigarette sales, what makes you think there will be more money to invest as per your first paragraph? maybe it's just me, but less taxes = less money for the local and state governments to spend on their pet projects. you'll find the taxes from cig sales on health care being quite minimal.

now if marijuana gets legalized and they tax that at a minimum equal to that of cigarettes. however, i have my doubts that it will equal the amount of taxes cigarettes currently generates.

[Ban Hammer 13,703]

your graphs are totally unrelated to the topic.

not one thing about the nature of crimes they are in jail for.

welcome to equality baby!

Edited November 17, 2008 by charles!

[mawilson 2,133]

"Have women become that much more dangerous?"

Yes.

[Amby 490]

women are scary!