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Booker introduces bill to legalize marijuana nationwide

justabubba

justabubba

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Booker introduces bill to legalize marijuana nationwide

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker is proposing a far-reaching bill that would both legalize marijuana at the federal level and encourage states to legalize it locally through incentives.
... “You see these marijuana arrests happening so much in our country, targeting certain communities — poor communities, minority communities — targeting people with an illness,” Booker, the former mayor of Newark, said in a Facebook Live rollout of his legislation.The bill would legalize marijuana at the federal level and withhold federal money for building jails and prisons, along with other funds, from states whose cannabis laws are shown to disproportionately incarcerate minorities.
Under the legislation, federal convictions for marijuana use and possession would be expunged and prisoners serving time for a marijuana offense would be entitled to a sentencing hearing.
... “They’re actually seeing positive things coming out of that experience. Now I believe the federal government should get out of the illegal marijuana business,” Booker said, adding that it “disturbs” him that Attorney General Jeff Sessions has signaled that the federal government may take a harder line on marijuana.
... “This is the single most far-reaching marijuana bill that’s ever been filed in either chamber of Congress,” Tom Angell, chairman of the group Marijuana Majority, said in a statement."More than just getting the federal government out of the way so that states can legalize without [Drug Enforcement Administration] harassment, this new proposal goes even further by actually punishing states that have bad marijuana laws.
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as the article says, in a republican dominated congress, this has a snowball's chance in hell to pass, but i have been waiting 45 years for such legislation to be introduced. it's only a matter of time until it is decriminalized
 
justabubba said:
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as the article says, in a republican dominated congress, this has a snowball's chance in hell to pass, but i have been waiting 45 years for such legislation to be introduced. it's only a matter of time until it is decriminalized[/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]
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amen brother! I've been a friend of cannabis since 1967 and I've been waiting for some light at the end of the long dark tunnel ever since. If only this bill could be the law of the land. The day will come.
 
Great...a whole nation of potheads. Just what we need.
 
Roadvirus said:
Great...a whole nation of potheads. Just what we need.
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Are you saying that the only reason many more adults don't use reefer is because it is not legal?

When is the last time you used weed?
 
justabubba said:
Booker introduces bill to legalize marijuana nationwide



as the article says, in a republican dominated congress, this has a snowball's chance in hell to pass, but i have been waiting 45 years for such legislation to be introduced. it's only a matter of time until it is decriminalized
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Bernie introduced a similar bill not too long ago, which I assume didn't go anywhere. This one mixes in penalties for enforcement targeting minorities. I don't think it was a wise decision to include that when legalization itself is already a controversial topic within the government and 1 more reason why it probably won't pass. Ironically, it's become very not-controversial outside the government.

These symbolic bills aren't accomplishing much anymore. I'd like to see something simple that de-schedules and reinforces states rights on the issue, designed for the best chance of passing.
 
Roadvirus said:
Great...a whole nation of potheads. Just what we need.
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Prohibition isn't stopping anyone. All it does is create a black market where someone can make some untaxed income. Most people feel it should be legal, so law enforcement is very lax. So its a very low risk black market to boot. Why not create some jobs, bring in some tax revenue, and get law enforcement out of the awkward position of having to ignore the law?
 
Roadvirus said:
Great...a whole nation of potheads. Just what we need.
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Repeal of prohibition didn't create a "nation of drunks", legalization of weed would not create a "nation of potheads".

shagg said:
Prohibition isn't stopping anyone
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Eh, this is just a factually incorrect statement. I'm actually a prime example of an individual it is stopping. I'd be interested in giving it a try, if I enjoy it I'd perhaps use it recreationally in a similar way to which I use alcohol to get drunk (I.E. 3 or 4 times a year), likely in place of alcohol in some of those instances. However, my interest and desire to give it a try and experience it is not great enough to cause me to want to risk the legal issues, the job related issues, or the hurdles of obtaining said item due to the realities of it's prohibition.

I imagine there are a fair amount of folks in the country that fall in a similar category....I don't think it's anywhere near as large as Roadvirus's statement would seemingly suggest it would be in general, let alone to the point where it'd be accurate to describe them as "potheads".
 
shagg said:
Prohibition isn't stopping anyone. All it does is create a black market where someone can make some untaxed income. Most people feel it should be legal, so law enforcement is very lax. So its a very low risk black market to boot. Why not create some jobs, bring in some tax revenue, and get law enforcement out of the awkward position of having to ignore the law?
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Don't believe there won't be a black market for weed, once regulation and taxation is attached to it. That would be very naive.

I really don't care about the subject. If people want to alter their perceptions, go for it. The repercussions, if any, will be their burden.

I sense this whole thing won't end well, but, who am I to say?
 
Zyphlin said:
Repeal of prohibition didn't create a "nation of drunks", legalization of weed would not create a "nation of potheads".



Eh, this is just a factually incorrect statement. I'm actually a prime example of an individual it is stopping.
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Prohibition is the only thing stopping you from enjoying marijuana? Do you fear the long arm of the law, or do you not have access to it? Strict moral code?

I understand some choose not to partake, and there's nothing wrong with that. But I'm curious as to how Prohibition is stopping you.
 
ocean515 said:
Don't believe there won't be a black market for weed, once regulation and taxation is attached to it. That would be very naive.

I really don't care about the subject. If people want to alter their perceptions, go for it. The repercussions, if any, will be their burden.

I sense this whole thing won't end well, but, who am I to say?
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The black market won't be able to compete once the legitimate side of the industry gets costs down while raising the bar on quality, that's how it went with alcohol prohibition and it's repeal.

I agree people should be able to use cannabis if they choose to, and the consequences are on the individual.

Why wouldn't it end well? What is prohibition saving us from?
 
shagg said:
Prohibition is the only thing stopping you from enjoying marijuana?
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Yes. The fact it is forbidden by law is the root cause of what's stopping me from enjoying it. Despite the legal penalties for first time usage of a small amount would be relatively miniscule, the reality is that due to my form of employment it would cost me my livelihood and essentially erase the decade worth of time I have vested. While the risk is low, the payoff comparative to the potential damage is still not great enough to make me wish to take said risk.

If it was legal, and thus I could use it without any risk to my employment, I would probably go give it a try this weekend simply because I'd be curious to experience it and see if it's something I ever even would want to do again (quite possibly it wouldn't be). However, the "benefits" of using it are in no way enticing enough for me to essentially risk my career over it, however small that risk may be. That risk exists ENTIRELY due to it's prohibition.
 
ocean515 said:
Don't believe there won't be a black market for weed, once regulation and taxation is attached to it. That would be very naive.
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There will be, but it's kind of ridiculous to think it'll be substantial to any real degree other than perhaps in the VERY near term as the infrastructure gets to be established.

But sure, there will always be some level of black market because there will always be some level of regulation on a legal substance and thus the appeal for a small minority of people for something that gets around that. This coming from someone who grew up one county over from Frankly County, VA...otherwise known as "Moonshine Capital of the World". However, despite living in the vicinity of one of the largest distribution hubs of illegal alcohol, the overwhelming majority of alcohol purchased in that area was still from the local ABC store or supermarket.
 
vegas giants said:
They just legalized it in my state. The dispensaries ran out in a few weeks. HUGE DEMAND
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They didn't legalize in your state. Your state just agreed with itself to violate federal law.

That's the reason for Booker's bill. and IMO it's about time. Either we should enforce the law or change the law.
 
vegas giants said:
They just legalized it in my state. The dispensaries ran out in a few weeks. HUGE DEMAND
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They didn't legalize in your state. Your state just agreed with itself to violate federal law.

That's the reason for Booker's bill. and IMO it's about time. Either we should enforce the law or change the law.
 
shagg said:
The black market won't be able to compete once the legitimate side of the industry gets costs down while raising the bar on quality, that's how it went with alcohol prohibition and it's repeal.

I agree people should be able to use cannabis if they choose to, and the consequences are on the individual.

Why wouldn't it end well? What is prohibition saving us from?
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What does it take to grow weed? Pretty simple process. When regulation and taxation are added to the cost, the black market will thrive.

It's already happening here in Southern California. And it's an issue that is recognized elsewhere.

Legal pot businesses struggle to compete with black market | KGW.com

As a product of the late sixties and early seventies, I've consumed my fair share of weed. I left that decades ago when I realized it's a bit difficult to get inspired and motivated when loaded. How will that play out for the future?

I think that will be an issue that will come back to bite.
 
Zyphlin said:
Yes. The fact it is forbidden by law is the root cause of what's stopping me from enjoying it. Despite the legal penalties for first time usage of a small amount would be relatively miniscule, the reality is that due to my form of employment it would cost me my livelihood and essentially erase the decade worth of time I have vested. While the risk is low, the payoff comparative to the potential damage is still not great enough to make me wish to take said risk.

If it was legal, and thus I could use it without any risk to my employment, I would probably go give it a try this weekend simply because I'd be curious to experience it and see if it's something I ever even would want to do again (quite possibly it wouldn't be). However, the "benefits" of using it are in no way enticing enough for me to essentially risk my career over it, however small that risk may be. That risk exists ENTIRELY due to it's prohibition.
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I can understand that, and this would mean I jumped the gun on "nobody". Decriminalization has helped some (most) of your group, but not all. My job requires a license, and if I am charged with a crime I lose it automatically. I will have an opportunity to regain it, but I have to establish certain things, and with certain crimes I can't get my license back. With weed, they're very forgiving, but I would still lose work and could lose my job for not being licensed, even if just temporarily (again, they're fairly forgiving). But with decriminalization you aren't formally charged, just pay a fine, so this has made things easier for some. But not every state has decriminalized cannabis, and some jobs don't care. And of course if you work for the federal government/military the federal law would trump any state reforms.

Other occupations drug test. My father has had a CDL for over 40 years. I understand the need, but it's not fair THC stays in your body so long. Hopefully better technology brings better testing methods. I don't really consider this because of prohibition though, this is more of a safety issue.

I feel my point that prohibition is an ineffective deterrent remains solid, but yeah, prohibition is stopping at least a few people from using cannabis.
 
ocean515 said:
What does it take to grow weed? Pretty simple process. When regulation and taxation are added to the cost, the black market will thrive.

It's already happening here in Southern California. And it's an issue that is recognized elsewhere.

Legal pot businesses struggle to compete with black market | KGW.com

As a product of the late sixties and early seventies, I've consumed my fair share of weed. I left that decades ago when I realized it's a bit difficult to get inspired and motivated when loaded. How will that play out for the future?

I think that will be an issue that will come back to bite.
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It was voted on all of 8 months ago, legal businesses and growers are just getting their feet on the ground. And CA has always been pretty easy going on the issue, so the black market growers have their facilities up and running and fine tuned already, supply and distribution lines established, etc.


Just give the free market a chance, man.
 
justabubba said:
Booker introduces bill to legalize marijuana nationwide



as the article says, in a republican dominated congress, this has a snowball's chance in hell to pass, but i have been waiting 45 years for such legislation to be introduced. it's only a matter of time until it is decriminalized
Click to expand...

Can we just get one small detail in place before any more stupidity happens? Just get a reliable field sobriety test in the hands of LE before heading down this path. Is that too much to ask??
 
justabubba said:
Booker introduces bill to legalize marijuana nationwide



as the article says, in a republican dominated congress, this has a snowball's chance in hell to pass, but i have been waiting 45 years for such legislation to be introduced. it's only a matter of time until it is decriminalized
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that this will also drive up the cost of pot. My dad's girlfriend uses it for pain relief (in her words: "It doesn't really stop the pain, it just makes me care less about it.") and when she had to buy it from illegal sources, it was a lot cheaper. Now if we legalize it, some of the people who are using it for pain management won't be able to afford it. Nasty little Catch 22...
 
faithful_servant said:
Can we just get one small detail in place before any more stupidity happens? Just get a reliable field sobriety test in the hands of LE before heading down this path. Is that too much to ask??
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Yes, yes it is to much to ask. For one your asking us to continue handing out felony sentences to people until law enforcement has a way to combat something that would be a misdemeanor. Another reason is, we had cars and alcohol way before the breathalyzer and somehow still managed. If you're able to pass a field sobriety test, you are in fact not impaired. Whether you're under the influence or not.

So it's unreasonable to stall legalization just because we don't have a test. It's obviously propaganda put out by law enforcement who have a vested interest in keeping their cash cow illegal. They don't want to see that war on drug money dry up, or lose their ability to seize assets for resale.
 
it won't pass now, but it probably will eventually.
 
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