Cannabis use in the USA
Being Jamaican, I have always known of the beneficial uses of Cannabis. It was obviously a subject that interested me as a child so I read what I could about it. I have always believed Cannabis use and sales should be legal in the US.
The previous story did change my mind a little. I had previously thought that it should be handled like we handle cigarettes---no one under the age of 18 can buy them, but a relatively low security item. Now I think it should be handled like we handle alcohol. Sell it only to 21 year olds or older, and tag it with a fixed $2000 fine for underage use/supplying it to underaged users.
I think the concept of how to handle retail marijuana sales sort of hits on the differences between alcohol and marijuana. Alcohol is a recreational drug with negative side effects. (I am going to refer to the pickling of your liver as a side effect.) marijuana is both a recreational drug AND a drug that has medicinal uses. It too has negative side effects.
Alcohol and cigarettes have warning labels. I would legalize marijuana and put a warning on the box that includes the standard cigarette warning in addition to something like: "marijuana users will experience impaired judgment and reaction time. For home use only. Driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal. Not for teenagers. Marijuana use among some teens may lead to paranoia and other psychosis."
I am pretty sure certain alcoholic drinks (like beer) have limits on the amount of alcohol in them. (I want to say that in some regions there are laws which reduce the amount of alcohol in beer. I think Colorado and Texas have different percentage of alcohol in the same brands of beer.)
Similar restrictions could be placed on marijuana. Like the difference between beer and hard liquor, you could buy less potent marijuana over the counter, but for more potent varieties, you would have to go elsewhere. I am thinking "elsewhere" would be the domain of drug stores, not liquor stores --- I think that should be by prescription only.
I think licenses should be granted to anyone who wants to grow the stuff, but they would have to pay a fair amount for those licenses and would have to meet the same conditions that drug companies would have to meet if they intend to sell or distribute the product --- and would have the same legal responsibilities. As long as the marijuana is not transferred, if someone wants to grow it for their own use and has bought a license, I don't see the problem.
I think this would eliminate a LOT of the pointless arrests involving marijuana users. We only have so many cops. I would like to see them doing important things like catching rapists and murderers or the dangerous drug users---people on angel dust or crack --- not wasting their time incarcerating peaceful 60 year old hippies and goofball ex-pro football players like Nate Newton.
The previous story did change my mind a little. I had previously thought that it should be handled like we handle cigarettes---no one under the age of 18 can buy them, but a relatively low security item. Now I think it should be handled like we handle alcohol. Sell it only to 21 year olds or older, and tag it with a fixed $2000 fine for underage use/supplying it to underaged users.
I think the concept of how to handle retail marijuana sales sort of hits on the differences between alcohol and marijuana. Alcohol is a recreational drug with negative side effects. (I am going to refer to the pickling of your liver as a side effect.) marijuana is both a recreational drug AND a drug that has medicinal uses. It too has negative side effects.
Alcohol and cigarettes have warning labels. I would legalize marijuana and put a warning on the box that includes the standard cigarette warning in addition to something like: "marijuana users will experience impaired judgment and reaction time. For home use only. Driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal. Not for teenagers. Marijuana use among some teens may lead to paranoia and other psychosis."
I am pretty sure certain alcoholic drinks (like beer) have limits on the amount of alcohol in them. (I want to say that in some regions there are laws which reduce the amount of alcohol in beer. I think Colorado and Texas have different percentage of alcohol in the same brands of beer.)
Similar restrictions could be placed on marijuana. Like the difference between beer and hard liquor, you could buy less potent marijuana over the counter, but for more potent varieties, you would have to go elsewhere. I am thinking "elsewhere" would be the domain of drug stores, not liquor stores --- I think that should be by prescription only.
I think licenses should be granted to anyone who wants to grow the stuff, but they would have to pay a fair amount for those licenses and would have to meet the same conditions that drug companies would have to meet if they intend to sell or distribute the product --- and would have the same legal responsibilities. As long as the marijuana is not transferred, if someone wants to grow it for their own use and has bought a license, I don't see the problem.
I think this would eliminate a LOT of the pointless arrests involving marijuana users. We only have so many cops. I would like to see them doing important things like catching rapists and murderers or the dangerous drug users---people on angel dust or crack --- not wasting their time incarcerating peaceful 60 year old hippies and goofball ex-pro football players like Nate Newton.
posted by The Tobidian at 11:55 AM
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