Marijuana Decriminilazation in MAssachusetts

[SaadBell 0]

I am awaiting the day that the "pee test" is abolished and that perhaps people could be tested to see if they are alcoholics....even mild ones.

Yup, that would be good.

The government doesn't give a ####### about your safety, they want you hooked on their drugs, the ones that the doctors give you. I think it is better to smoke a joint than do oxycotton. When I first got sick I stuipdly went their way and was so hyped up on narcotics that I threw them away and got me some pot and I tell you it made a big difference. Of course what I do is illegal, alcohol causes deaths everyday, not one person has overdose from just smoking pot, they may eat you out of house and home, but they won't die. We have a profit in the prision system that is why we have more people in this country incarcerated than any other country in the world. But if you are Rush or a McCain than you are cool to do drugs and support the lower classes that do the same put them in prision. The whole thing is rotten, we as a people need to wake up and let marijuana be legal it is just a freaking weed, it isn't like you have to cook it up. I like what Katt Williams says on this matter:

[peejay 327]

Look at the grand experiment in Amsterdam. I recently read the Dutch were trying to clean up that mess. Dope and whores seem to attract a certain element. And not people you want living in your neighborhood and hanging around your kid's school. Just because people are going to do this ####### is no reason to embrace it. If we just acquiesce to any activity that enough people want to buy into, why not just excuse public nudity, kiddy porn, beastiality, etc. Yeah...groovy...if it feels good, do it.

For anyone that thinks that prostitution and dope are victimless crimes, we only have to look at worldwide trafficking in sex slaves and the narco fueled violence in Mexico.

Personally I could care less if someone wants to grow a small amount of weed for personal consumption, but people that buy weed smuggled into the USA from Mexico are enabling the murder and violence going on there for their own selfish cheap thrills. Some people worry more about where and how their frigging coffee is grown than about whether their little hip dope habit is drenched in blood.

Since you bring up Amsterdam. I was there recently, and it was about as civilized as a Disney resort. Maybe more so because there weren't a lot of kids running into you. In Dutch law, there are soft drugs (like marijuana and mushrooms) and there are hard drugs (like X, heroin, cocaine, etc). Soft drugs, while legal are still regulated, the same as cigarettes and alcohol are in the US. Hard drugs are NOT legal.

Drugs and prostitution are NOT victimless crimes, but when decriminalized produce no more victims than do alcohol or other legal drugs.

There was a time when alcohol was illegal, and there was much more violent crime associated with it, and many more victims.

We didn't learn much from that.

Alcohol is legal, but many states and localities have open container laws...even for passengers in the same vehicle. Alcohol intoxication tests are standardized and readily available to law enforcement.

Dope in the car? I say burn the driver for DUI. I don't think this decriminalization law has really been thought through if possession is legal anywhere and anytime is in effect. There is a time and place for everything. People don't need to be smoking dope on the highway at 70 mph. People do not need to be smoking dope and operating equipment on the job...period.

Until there is a test for intoxication levels I don't believe any substance should be "legal" or decriminalized. Until the state of MA has any of this in place they are idiots to even contemplate do this, much less doing it. Liberals...sheesh! Talk about a knee jerk politics. These people ain't got a clue.

[Ling Ling 22]

Look at the grand experiment in Amsterdam. I recently read the Dutch were trying to clean up that mess. Dope and whores seem to attract a certain element. And not people you want living in your neighborhood and hanging around your kid's school. Just because people are going to do this ####### is no reason to embrace it. If we just acquiesce to any activity that enough people want to buy into, why not just excuse public nudity, kiddy porn, beastiality, etc. Yeah...groovy...if it feels good, do it.

For anyone that thinks that prostitution and dope are victimless crimes, we only have to look at worldwide trafficking in sex slaves and the narco fueled violence in Mexico.

Personally I could care less if someone wants to grow a small amount of weed for personal consumption, but people that buy weed smuggled into the USA from Mexico are enabling the murder and violence going on there for their own selfish cheap thrills. Some people worry more about where and how their frigging coffee is grown than about whether their little hip dope habit is drenched in blood.

Since you bring up Amsterdam. I was there recently, and it was about as civilized as a Disney resort. Maybe more so because there weren't a lot of kids running into you. In Dutch law, there are soft drugs (like marijuana and mushrooms) and there are hard drugs (like X, heroin, cocaine, etc). Soft drugs, while legal are still regulated, the same as cigarettes and alcohol are in the US. Hard drugs are NOT legal.

Drugs and prostitution are NOT victimless crimes, but when decriminalized produce no more victims than do alcohol or other legal drugs.

There was a time when alcohol was illegal, and there was much more violent crime associated with it, and many more victims.

We didn't learn much from that.

Alcohol is legal, but many states and localities have open container laws...even for passengers in the same vehicle. Alcohol intoxication tests are standardized and readily available to law enforcement.

Dope in the car? I say burn the driver for DUI. I don't think this decriminalization law has really been thought through if possession is legal anywhere and anytime is in effect. There is a time and place for everything. People don't need to be smoking dope on the highway at 70 mph. People do not need to be smoking dope and operating equipment on the job...period.

Until there is a test for intoxication levels I don't believe any substance should be "legal" or decriminalized. Until the state of MA has any of this in place they are idiots to even contemplate do this, much less doing it. Liberals...sheesh! Talk about a knee jerk politics. These people ain't got a clue.

I'll agree with you completely that drugs have no place while operating any machinery, or while under the employment of anyone who expects you to be sober on the job. However, there are still people who come to work drunk, who get drunk at work, and who drive drunk.

As for the standardized tests for sobriety, they only work part of the time. I've seen people half out of their mind beat a breathalyzer, and I've seen people who've only had one drink fail it. The tests are based on blood alcohol levels, but don't take into consideration a person's tolerance, weight or size. All of these can factor into a person's ability to perform in a sober-like manner or not.

The abuse of ANY drug is bad....but between marijuana and alcohol, at least marijuana is kinder to the body.

There's a reason doctors prescribe medicinal marijuana. How many prescriptions are written for a medicinal 6 pack?

[SaadBell 0]

Until there is a test for intoxication levels I don't believe any substance should be "legal" or decriminalized. Until the state of MA has any of this in place they are idiots to even contemplate do this, much less doing it. Liberals...sheesh! Talk about a knee jerk politics. These people ain't got a clue.

Know your facts, if anything should be illegal it is Alcohol that is killing people, but you can bet your bottom dollar that if you tried to take those six packs away there would be war on the streets. I think alcohol should be illegal and pot legal not the other way around.

[ronjie 0]

I know where my summer vacation will be in 2009 ... I'm thinking that vermont being so close to Mass, maybe that's why everything takes so long in VSC. maybe they're just smoking, eating, and sleeping too much to get anything done in a timely manner. I wonder if they get tested?

[Ling Ling 22]

I know where my summer vacation will be in 2009 ... I'm thinking that vermont being so close to Mass, maybe that's why everything takes so long in VSC. maybe they're just smoking, eating, and sleeping too much to get anything done in a timely manner. I wonder if they get tested?

Before you rush off...you'll probably want to know how many tickets you can be issued in a day, and if they confiscate evidence.

Should be interesting seeing the police walking around with scales....and speaking of testing...that sounds like a loophole.

How can they prove it was marijuana, and not green tea?

Hmmmmmmmm?

[doodlebugg 10]

maybe that's why everything takes so long in VSC. maybe they're just smoking, eating, and sleeping too much to get anything done in a timely manner. I wonder if they get tested?

Look, here they are!

[spookyturtle 9,466]

What gets me is decriminalizing possesion of an illegal substance. It still gets here thru illegal channels and people are getting murdered over it everyday. Why not legalize it, regulate it and tax it,. just like ciggarettes, alcohol and prescription drugs? That makes more sense to me than all of the crime and death involved in the illicit drug trade.

It's because the SYSTEM makes a lot of money from arresting, prosecuting, and incarcerating drug offenders.

As long as that profit trail appears good to someone, the war on drugs will continue.

Funny, they always call Marijuana the "gateway drug". I assure you that people have used cigarettes and alcohol before going onto heavy drugs.

Probably quite a few crack, cocaine, and heroin addicts that have used cigarettes and alcohol, but NOT marijuana.

Penn & Teller did a pretty good show on marijuana (figuratively, not literally).

MA passed the decriminalizing law so that it would cut down on arrests, prosecuting etc. It is supposed to free up resources to combat more serious issues.

I understood that. I was just speaking to some reasons why it won't be legalized, per your question.

Also, it's just been made a "quasi-crime", such as illegally parking. They may find that since they can now give a simple ticket for the offense (rather than decide if it's worth arresting someone for a single joint) there's a possibility of increased revenue. You're in MA right? Please keep us informed.

There have been a few articles in the Boston papers talking about the problems of how they are actually going to do this. The police don't even have a plan in place for the enforcement of this law. Possesion is not a crime, but driving under the influence of marijuana still is. The police depts. had no plans in the works because they never expected the law to pass.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Personally I could care less if someone wants to grow a small amount of weed for personal consumption, but people that buy weed smuggled into the USA from Mexico are enabling the murder and violence going on there for their own selfish cheap thrills. Some people worry more about where and how their frigging coffee is grown than about whether their little hip dope habit is drenched in blood.

I agree. I have no problem with marijuana use by adults, no worse than alcohol, IMHO. But I do have a problem with the violence invoved in the illegal drug trade. For this reason, I voted against changing the law to a misdemeanor. The drug trade has destroyed parts of Mexico. If it were legally grown in the US, it would drastically reduce the amount of illegal marijuana smuggled into the US. Just as legal alcohol all but eliminated illegal production and smuggling.

[Ling Ling 22]

What gets me is decriminalizing possesion of an illegal substance. It still gets here thru illegal channels and people are getting murdered over it everyday. Why not legalize it, regulate it and tax it,. just like ciggarettes, alcohol and prescription drugs? That makes more sense to me than all of the crime and death involved in the illicit drug trade.

It's because the SYSTEM makes a lot of money from arresting, prosecuting, and incarcerating drug offenders.

As long as that profit trail appears good to someone, the war on drugs will continue.

Funny, they always call Marijuana the "gateway drug". I assure you that people have used cigarettes and alcohol before going onto heavy drugs.

Probably quite a few crack, cocaine, and heroin addicts that have used cigarettes and alcohol, but NOT marijuana.

Penn & Teller did a pretty good show on marijuana (figuratively, not literally).

MA passed the decriminalizing law so that it would cut down on arrests, prosecuting etc. It is supposed to free up resources to combat more serious issues.

I understood that. I was just speaking to some reasons why it won't be legalized, per your question.

Also, it's just been made a "quasi-crime", such as illegally parking. They may find that since they can now give a simple ticket for the offense (rather than decide if it's worth arresting someone for a single joint) there's a possibility of increased revenue. You're in MA right? Please keep us informed.

There have been a few articles in the Boston papers talking about the problems of how they are actually going to do this. The police don't even have a plan in place for the enforcement of this law. Possesion is not a crime, but driving under the influence of marijuana still is. The police depts. had no plans in the works because they never expected the law to pass.

Yeah...I think somebody needs to make some quick phone calls to the alleged 12 other states that have decriminalized it.

I heard the Gov and many were against it....I'm surprised it passed as well.

[Ban Hammer 13,633]

so does this graph mean you advocate legalization of the date rape drug rohypnol?

[doodlebugg 10]

Personally I could care less if someone wants to grow a small amount of weed for personal consumption, but people that buy weed smuggled into the USA from Mexico are enabling the murder and violence going on there for their own selfish cheap thrills. Some people worry more about where and how their frigging coffee is grown than about whether their little hip dope habit is drenched in blood.

I agree. I have no problem with marijuana use by adults, no worse than alcohol, IMHO. But I do have a problem with the violence invoved in the illegal drug trade. For this reason, I voted against changing the law to a misdemeanor. The drug trade has destroyed parts of Mexico. If it were legally grown in the US, it would drastically reduce the amount of illegal marijuana smuggled into the US. Just as legal alcohol all but eliminated illegal production and smuggling.

you voted against it???? for pete's sakes even my straight and narrow parents voted for it! lol

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Yeah...I think somebody needs to make some quick phone calls to the alleged 12 other states that have decriminalized it.

I heard the Gov and many were against it....I'm surprised it passed as well.

The Gov and most of the police departments were against it. It got passed by advertising funded by an out of state group. The state spent very little to advertise to vote against the change. They thought it had no chance to pass.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Personally I could care less if someone wants to grow a small amount of weed for personal consumption, but people that buy weed smuggled into the USA from Mexico are enabling the murder and violence going on there for their own selfish cheap thrills. Some people worry more about where and how their frigging coffee is grown than about whether their little hip dope habit is drenched in blood.

I agree. I have no problem with marijuana use by adults, no worse than alcohol, IMHO. But I do have a problem with the violence invoved in the illegal drug trade. For this reason, I voted against changing the law to a misdemeanor. The drug trade has destroyed parts of Mexico. If it were legally grown in the US, it would drastically reduce the amount of illegal marijuana smuggled into the US. Just as legal alcohol all but eliminated illegal production and smuggling.

you voted against it???? for pete's sakes even my straight and narrow parents voted for it! lol

I voted against it because of how it gets here, not because I am agaisnt it's use. To me, it's hypocrital to be in favor of a product where hundreds of people die each year to get it here illegally. Again, just my opinion.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

I think it is better to smoke a joint than do oxycotton.

Oxycotton? Is that a new type of fabric? Go smoke another one.