Sen. Cory Booker's national marihuana legalization act - a bad idea

[Anonymous]

Legalized pot has devastated Colorado. National legalization would be a disaster.

Here is a good article explaining why this bill must fail:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/08/07/marijuana-devastated-colorado-dont-legalize-nationally-jeff-hunt-column/536010001/?siteID=je6NUbpObpQ-gV9oYJUjsc.zSwD55oCsUA

[Anonymous]

Shame on Cory Booker.

[Anonymous]

This guy isn't going anywhere. He's trying really hard to stay relevant, but he doesn't have what it takes. He's a professional politician who craves power. He's dedicated his life to being a politician...so much so that he's single and childless (and my friends from NJ swear he's gay but will magically time an engagement if he decides to run for president).

I think this is a political stunt. While he's built a name for himself on bipartisan efforts aimed at decriminalization (which is admirable), he actually seems very conservative IRL. I've been in small rooms where he's talked candidly about his political beliefs, and he comes across far too conservative (especially when he goes off script to comment or field questions). This guy will not be embraced by the Democratic Party.

[Anonymous]

^^^Cory sounds a lot like Ben Carson when discussing poverty. A lot. But only when he goes off script...which tells me he's a phony.

[Anonymous]

Conversely, this is a good idea because prohibition has proven to be a disaster as evidenced over the last century by the 50 billion spent, countless lives lost to cartel violence, and the disparate impact on communities of color who are 5x as likely to be arrested and prosecuted than their white counterparts who use drugs in equal proportion. Additionally, cannabis - not the term "marihuana" that was implemented as a scare tactic in the 20's as part of the reefer madness campaign to paint cannabis smokers as black and Mexican deviants - has proven to be a much more benign substance than alcohol or pretty much anything else drug wise. The science shows it. There is also no way to overdose on it, hence no deaths like the 30,000 each year alcohol causes.

Anyway, just some thoughts. This is a parenting forum, of course, so I anticipate a good amount of pearl clutching. Maybe try and take one hit, in the multitude of states where it's now legal and see if you change your mind. You won't get a hangover and it won't make you crazy. Just do it in moderation, as you should with all things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Legalized pot has devastated Colorado. National legalization would be a disaster.

Here is a good article explaining why this bill must fail:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/08/07/marijuana-devastated-colorado-dont-legalize-nationally-jeff-hunt-column/536010001/?siteID=je6NUbpObpQ-gV9oYJUjsc.zSwD55oCsUA

Jeff Hunt: a guy who smoked pot in his youth, but is now a religious faith leader in a conservative Christian town. Classic do as I say not as I do mentality. I don't like it so you should either. Additionally his moral bent is one that shuns anything that could promote pleasure rather than Christianity. On top of that his statistics, of which there are few examples in this piece, are misleading and shoddily referenced at best.

Anyway onward to glory Jeff Sessions! Ramp up the drug war, the paranoia, the insanity, the junk science to justify your ends, the use of private prisons the civil asset forfeiture and the

[Anonymous]

My personal opinion: we would make huge strides in properly dealing with marijuana if the FDA just reclassified it properly. There is no scientific excuse for the continued schedule I classification, and everybody knows it. It's a lot easier to get people to accept and follow rules and regulations if they actually track with reality.

[Anonymous]

Brother lives in a small, economically depressed area in a state where cannabis was just legalized. Grow houses and processing plants are adding about 800 needed jobs. Related businesses may add more jobs.

Ironically, the three prisons in the area have prisoners who did the same work illegally.

[Anonymous]

Legalized pot has definitely not devastated Colorado. Have you ever been there (pre and/or post- legalization)?

Also, Jeff Hunt is a snake oil salesman with a horrible understanding of science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Legalized pot has devastated Colorado. National legalization would be a disaster.

Here is a good article explaining why this bill must fail:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/08/07/marijuana-devastated-colorado-dont-legalize-nationally-jeff-hunt-column/536010001/?siteID=je6NUbpObpQ-gV9oYJUjsc.zSwD55oCsUA

Opinion piece based on thin air and no facts, making your claims fake.
http://www.denverpost.com/2016/02/17/marijuana-legalization-unlikely-to-blame-for-denver-crime-increase/

Doctors pushing opioids for bigpharm are a real problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Conversely, this is a good idea because prohibition has proven to be a disaster as evidenced over the last century by the 50 billion spent, countless lives lost to cartel violence, and the disparate impact on communities of color who are 5x as likely to be arrested and prosecuted than their white counterparts who use drugs in equal proportion. Additionally, cannabis - not the term "marihuana" that was implemented as a scare tactic in the 20's as part of the reefer madness campaign to paint cannabis smokers as black and Mexican deviants - has proven to be a much more benign substance than alcohol or pretty much anything else drug wise. The science shows it. There is also no way to overdose on it, hence no deaths like the 30,000 each year alcohol causes.

Anyway, just some thoughts. This is a parenting forum, of course, so I anticipate a good amount of pearl clutching. Maybe try and take one hit, in the multitude of states where it's now legal and see if you change your mind. You won't get a hangover and it won't make you crazy. Just do it in moderation, as you should with all things.

You won't get many takers (tokers?) here, due to an Obama-era memo from the DOJ under Holder reminding ALL federal employees that they are specifically banned from illegal drug use (including marihuana), on the job or off the job, while in the USA or anywhere.

The memo specifies that federal law supersedes any state claim of "legality" of marijuana.

In short, .gov employees are banned from using pot.

Many here, if not most, work for .gov.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Legalized pot has devastated Colorado. National legalization would be a disaster.

Here is a good article explaining why this bill must fail:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/08/07/marijuana-devastated-colorado-dont-legalize-nationally-jeff-hunt-column/536010001/?siteID=je6NUbpObpQ-gV9oYJUjsc.zSwD55oCsUA

The people of Colorado have a different opinion from this individual. Why would we listen to him instead of them?

[Anonymous]

It is ridiculous that pot is legal in some states and not in others. It should be decriminalized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Legalized pot has devastated Colorado. National legalization would be a disaster.

Here is a good article explaining why this bill must fail:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/08/07/marijuana-devastated-colorado-dont-legalize-nationally-jeff-hunt-column/536010001/?siteID=je6NUbpObpQ-gV9oYJUjsc.zSwD55oCsUA

Opinion piece based on thin air and no facts, making your claims fake.
http://www.denverpost.com/2016/02/17/marijuana-legalization-unlikely-to-blame-for-denver-crime-increase/

Doctors pushing opioids for bigpharm are a real problem.

USA Today is now "fake news"???

Who are you? Garry Trudeau??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My personal opinion: we would make huge strides in properly dealing with marijuana if the FDA just reclassified it properly. There is no scientific excuse for the continued schedule I classification, and everybody knows it. It's a lot easier to get people to accept and follow rules and regulations if they actually track with reality.

Perhaps you had too much pot?