Your take on the regulation and taxation of cannabis

[capitalcity]

Zogby Poll: Nearly Half Of Americans Believe Pot Should Be Regulated Like Alcohol -- Majorities In The East And West Coasts Back Legalization

March 16, 2006 - Washington, DC, USA
norml.org

Washington, DC: Nearly one out of two Americans support amending federal law "to let states legally regulate and tax marijuana the way they do liquor and gambling," according to a national poll of 1,004 likely voters by Zogby International and commissioned by the NORML Foundation.

Forty-six percent of respondents -- including a majority of those polled on the east (53 percent) and west (55 percent) coasts -- say they support allowing states to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. Forty-nine percent of respondents opposed taxing and regulating cannabis, and five percent were undecided.

"Public support for replacing the illicit marijuana market with a legally regulated, controlled market similar to alcohol -- complete with age restrictions and quality controls -- continues to grow," NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said. "NORML's challenge is to convert this growing public support into a tangible public policy that no longer criminalizes those adults who use marijuana responsibly."

A previous Zogby poll of 1,024 likely voters found that 61 percent of respondents opposed arresting and jailing non-violent marijuana consumers.

FOR/AGAINST

Overall 46/49

Dems 59/41
Reps 33/66
Inds 44/56
Libs 85/15

Jews 70/30
Unaffiliated 60/40
Catholics 48/52
Protestants 38/62

18-29 65/35
30-49 42/58
50-64 50/50
65-up 48/52

[sixeightmkw]

whats the +/- on the poll? what area of the country was the poll done? how many reps, dems, libs, etc were polled? Only 1004 people were polled. Kinda low # isn't it? That could mean that there were 800 dems, 100 reps, or whatever # you want to put in there.

My opinion. It would take billions of $'s to get it up and running in the first place. Higher taxes would ensue. More people would be more likely to begin trying drugs which I don't beleive is the message to give to young people. There is not enough research on what long term affects might have on people like cigarettes have. Just alot to consider.

[Jeremiah]

...

[Mavdog]

the current administration is attempting to use the federal marijuana laws to trump local and state legalization.

the enforcement of marijuana laws is a waste of money and time. legalize possession, tax it's sale while prohibiting ads.

stop this insanity of outlawing it.

[dalmations202]

And make guns illegal as well, because we all know that crime will go down if we take the guns away from law abiding citizens..............Good grief.

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by Mavdog

the current administration is attempting to use the federal marijuana laws to trump local and state legalization.

the enforcement of marijuana laws is a waste of money and time. legalize possession, tax it's sale while prohibiting ads.

stop this insanity of outlawing it.

I'm curious why you threw out there "the current administration". So which administration DIDN'T use federal majirjuan laws to trump local and state legislazation?

[dude1394]

I would agree that anything you can grow in your backyard really doesn't make much sense to be regulated by the guvment. Whether it be tobacco, grass, tomatoes, mushrooms, etc.

[Mavdog]

Originally Posted by dude1394

I'm curious why you threw out there "the current administration". So which administration DIDN'T use federal majirjuan laws to trump local and state legislazation?

I'm not aware of any efforts by other administrations to use federal marajuana laws to circumvent a local initiative to legalize its possession.

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by Mavdog

I'm not aware of any efforts by other administrations to use federal marajuana laws to circumvent a local initiative to legalize its possession.

What about this one?

http://www.aclu.org/drugpolicy/decri...b19980302.html

Publicity surrounding stories like Joe Pinson's has moved many Americans to support the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes. In 1996 a majority of voters in California and Arizona approved the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes. And a March 1998 CNN poll reaped an overwhelming 96% favorable response. In the face of widespread public support for medical marijuana law reform, the Clinton Administration's intransigence seems increasingly strange.

Today, battles on the medical marijuana front continue throughout the United States. The ACLU's First Amendment challenge to the Clinton Administration's threat to punish California doctors who recommend marijuana to their patients is ongoing (see below). Individual patients who are arrested for marijuana possession or cultivation continue to assert a defense based on medical necessity, with mixed results. In November 1998, voters in several states will have an opportunity to vote on medical marijuana measures in their states (see opposite). And legislation to remove the federal ban on prescribing marijuana is pending in Congress.

It's crucial that lawmakers on both the state and federal levels hear from ACLU members on this important issue. Seriously ill people ought to be able to secure the best possible care for themselves without being threatened with criminal prosecution and prison.

[sixeightmkw]

nice one dude

[chumdawg]

I wonder if part of the opposition to medicinal marijuana use stems from the fact (well, I assume it's a fact) that weed is waaaaaaay cheaper than prescription medication?

Dude, I think that's a great point about the difficulty of regulating something that can be grown in the backyard. But then again, we could grow tomatoes in the yard if we want to, but still most all of us buy them at the store.

Having used both drugs, I firmly believe that if alcohol is legal then weed should be as well.

[Mavdog]

Originally Posted by dude1394

What about this one?

http://www.aclu.org/drugpolicy/decri...b19980302.html

it appears the clinton administration was wrong as well.

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by Mavdog

it appears the clinton administration was wrong as well.

So.....your "this administration" crack is just so much dailykos. Is dubya doing something more radical than putting doctors in jail?

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by chumdawg

I wonder if part of the opposition to medicinal marijuana use stems from the fact (well, I assume it's a fact) that weed is waaaaaaay cheaper than prescription medication?

Dude, I think that's a great point about the difficulty of regulating something that can be grown in the backyard. But then again, we could grow tomatoes in the yard if we want to, but still most all of us buy them at the store.

Having used both drugs, I firmly believe that if alcohol is legal then weed should be as well.

And not exactly the "difficulty" of regulating it (prohibiting it in this case) but the....ah....un-naturalness of it all. Weird but I just don't think that stuff growing out of the ground should be so subjected to man's whims.

And I agree about the deltas..I've had a hell of a lot more arguments with drunkards that someone stoned. And I'd just as soon have a toke as get a buzz with a bunch of liquor. My head sure feels better the next day...

But I"m a law-abiding sort so my head hurts.

[Mavdog]

Originally Posted by dude1394

So.....your "this administration" crack is just so much dailykos. Is dubya doing something more radical than putting doctors in jail?

to me, using the controlled substances act to prosecute doctors for prescribing medicinal marijuana (legal btw where they lived) is pretty "radical".

[mary]

Yay.

[capitalcity]

Canada Scraps Plans to Legalize Marijuana

AP

OTTAWA - Canada's new Conservative Party Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Monday that Ottawa does not intend to reintroduce legislation to legalize small amounts of marijuana.

Speaking to the Canadian Professional Police Association, Harper received applause when he reiterated that the legislation drawn up by the previous Liberal Party government would not be reintroduced when the new Parliament sits Monday.

The bill, which had alarmed law enforcement officials in Canada and the United States, died on the floor of the House of Commons after the Liberal Party lost elections in January.

Under the bill, getting caught with about half an ounce or less of marijuana would have brought a citation akin to a traffic ticket, not a criminal record. While possession of marijuana would have remained illegal, the bill was intended to prevent young people from being saddled with a lifelong criminal record.

U.S. authorities worried the legislation would have weakened their efforts to curb marijuana exports from Canada, which has numerous marijuana farms, particularly in the lush western province of British Columbia.

Canadian marijuana activist Marc Emery of Vancouver, known as "the prince of pot" and recently profiled by the CBS' "60 Minutes," is under U.S. indictment targeting his multimillion-dollar marijuana seed business. He claims to make $3 million a year from selling marijuana seeds on line and by mail, mostly to buyers south of the border.

Harper, who was to later address the first Conservative-led Parliament in 13 years, told the police association that fighting crime was one of his top five priorities.

He vowed to keep his campaign pledge to demand tougher sentences for gun and drug offenses.

He also won prolonged applause for his campaign promises to crack down on parole and do away with mandatory supervision, the practice of releasing most convicts after two-thirds of their sentences.

"We are going to hold criminals to account," said Harper. "This government will send a strong message to criminals: If you do a serious crime, you're going to start doing serious time."

Harper also promised to get tough on child pornography and improve the national databank of DNA samples of convicted criminals.

[Drbio]

Seems like Canada finally got one right.

[capitalcity]

Remember kids - Vioxx good/ Mary Jane bad.

FDA Says No to Medical Marijuana
Friday, April 21, 2006
AP

Federal Appeals Court To Weigh Medical Marijuana
WASHINGTON — The FDA said in a statement that it and other agencies with the Health and Human Services Department had "concluded that no sound scientific studies supported medical use of marijuana for treatment in the United States, and no animal or human data supported the safety or efficacy of marijuana for general medical use."

A number of states have passed legislation allowing marijuana use for medical purposes, but the FDA said, "These measures are inconsistent with efforts to ensure that medications undergo the rigorous scientific scrutiny of the FDA approval process and are proven safe and effective."

The statement contradicts a 1999 finding from the Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of Sciences, which reported that "marijuana's active components are potentially effective in treating pain, nausea, the anorexia of AIDS wasting and other symptoms, and should be tested rigorously in clinical trials."

Bruce Mirken, director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project, said Thursday: "If anybody needed proof that the FDA has become totally politicized, this is it. This isn't a scientific statement; it's a political statement."

Mirken said "a rabid congressional opponent of medical marijuana," Rep. Mark Souder (news, bio, voting record), R-Ind., asked the FDA to make the statement.

Souder, chairman of the House Government Reform subcommittee on drug policy, has said the promotion of medical marijuana "is simply a red herring for the legalization of marijuana for recreational use. Studies have continually rejected the notion that marijuana is suitable for medical use because it adversely impacts concentration and memory, the lungs, motor coordination and the immune system."

The FDA statement noted "there is currently sound evidence that smoked marijuana is harmful." It also said, "There are alternative FDA-approved medications in existence for treatment of many of the proposed uses of smoked marijuana."

Mirken responded, "There is abundant evidence that marijuana can help cancer patients, multiple sclerosis patients and AIDS patients. There is no scientific doubt that marijuana relieves nausea, vomiting, certain kinds of pain and other symptoms that don't respond well to conventional drugs, and does it more safely than other drugs.

"For the FDA to ignore all that evidence is embarrassing," Mirken said. "They should be red-faced."

[Arne]

Originally Posted by dalmations202

And make guns illegal as well, because we all know that crime will go down if we take the guns away from law abiding citizens..............Good grief.

Making guns illegal will not lead to fewer crimes, but it will lead to fewer crimes with death involved.

[dalmations202]

Originally Posted by Arne

Making guns illegal will not lead to fewer crimes, but it will lead to fewer crimes with death involved.

No it leads to innocent victims not being able to defend themselves. Same as it always has.

[Arne]

Originally Posted by dalmations202

No it leads to innocent victims not being able to defend themselves. Same as it always has.

At least it is like that in Germany and other countries that made weapons illegal.

[capitalcity]

Guns have nothing to do with weed.

Neither does terrorism or underage pregnancy.

[Mavdog]

I don't believe pot has killed a single person, unless of course we include the people who have been killed by law enforcement for possessing it.

[nowitzki_prophecy]

Originally Posted by dude1394

I would agree that anything you can grow in your backyard really doesn't make much sense to be regulated by the guvment. Whether it be tobacco, grass, tomatoes, mushrooms, etc.

Obviously you haven't experienced the full skale of mushrooms....
I'm pretty big on drugs,let me go right out and say it,but that type of drugs is illegal and should be kept that way... its a risky buisness.
The thing is what do you do with the things you grow?opium is pretty easy to grow and work with too,should it be legal?that's highly highly addictive and dangerous stuff.
but if you're talking about the green and brown?hell yea,safer than alcohol,that's for sure.

[capitalcity]

Does this mean I can take 4 joints with me on vacation?... Or would that be considered trafficking?

Mexico legislators decriminalize drug possession for personal use
By MARK STEVENSON
AP

MEXICO CITY - Mexico's Congress approved a bill Friday decriminalizing possession of small quantities of marijuana, Ecstasy, cocaine and even heroin for personal use.

The only step remaining was the signature of President Vicente Fox, whose office indicated that he will sign it.

The bill, which the Senate passed in the early morning hours on a 53-26 vote with one abstention, has already been approved in the lower house of Congress and was sent to Fox.

"The presidency congratulates the Congress for approving the reforms," presidential spokesman Ruben Aguilar said.

"This law gives police and prosecutors better legal tools to combat drug crimes that do so much damage to our youth and children."

Mexican officials hope the law will help police focus on controlling large-scale trafficking rather than minor drug busts.

The bill also stiffens penalties for trafficking and possession of drugs -- even small quantities -- by government employees or near schools, and it maintains criminal penalties for drug sales.

Oscar Aguilar, a Mexico City political analyst, said that Fox's office proposed the law, that his party supports it and that he had apparently been betting that it wouldn't draw much notice.

"That's probably why [the Senate] passed it the way they did, in the closing hours of the final session," said Oscar Aguilar, who is not related to the presidential spokesman.

"He's going to sign it. ... He's not going to abandon his party two months before the [presidential] election."

U.S. officials scrambled to respond to the Mexican move.

One U.S. diplomat who requested anonymity said "we're still studying the legislation, but any effort to decriminalize illegal drugs would not be helpful."

Janelle Hironimus, a State Department spokeswoman, said "preliminary information from Mexican legislative sources indicates that the intent of the draft legislation is to clarify the meaning of 'small amounts' of drugs for personal use as stated in current Mexican law."

Current Mexican law leaves open the possibility of dropping charges against people caught with drugs if they are considered addicts and if "the amount is the quantity necessary for personal use."

But the current exemption isn't automatic.

The new bill drops the "addict" requirement, automatically allows any "consumers" to have drugs and sets out specific allowable quantities.

Mexican officials rejected repeated requests for comment. The move could affect the two countries' cooperation in the war on drugs -- and the vast numbers of vacationing students who visit Mexico.

The bill says criminal charges will no longer be brought for possession of up to 25 milligrams of heroin, 5 grams of marijuana (about one-fifth of an ounce, or about four joints), or 0.5 gram of cocaine -- the equivalent of about four "lines," or half the standard street-sale quantity (although half-size packages are becoming more common).

"No charges will be brought against ... addicts or consumers who are found in possession of any narcotic for personal use," according to the Senate bill, which also lays out allowable quantities for a long list of other drugs, including LSD, Ecstasy (about two pills' worth) and amphetamines.

Some of the amounts are eye-popping.

People will be allowed to possess 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of peyote, the button-size hallucinogenic cactus used in some native Indian religious ceremonies.

Mexican officials declined to explain how the law will work, including whether drug use in public will be tolerated or discouraged by other means. The law was defended by Mexican legislators and greeted with glee by U.S. legalization advocates.

"We can't close our eyes to this reality," said Sen. Jorge Zermeno of Fox's conservative National Action Party.

"We cannot continue to fill our jails with people who have addictions."

-Maximum quantities allowed for personal use-

opium (raw, to be smoked) 5 grams

heroin 25 milligrams

marijuana 5 grams

cocaine 500 milligrams

LSD 0.015 milligram

MDA 200 milligrams

Ecstasy 200 milligrams

amphetamines 100 milligrams

dexamphetamines 40 milligrams

hallucinogenic mushrooms (raw, off the farm) 250 milligrams

mescaline 1 gram

methamphetamine 200 milligrams

Nalbuphine (synthetic opiate) 10 milligrams

peyote 1 kilogram

psilocybin (concentrate, pure, active ingredient) 100 milligrams

phencyclidine (PCP, or angel dust) 7 milligrams

[u2sarajevo]

1 kg of peyote? That's 2.2 pounds. Everything else is relatively small.

As to your answer about 4 joints.... 5 grams is a tiny smidgeon above a teaspoon (don't know if that's rounded or not ) so I have no idea if you can get that amount in 4 joints.... but from what I hear raef should know.

[Mavdog]

they are showing a great deal of common sense.

hopefully in our time we will see our government come to the same rational conclusion. it happened with alcohol....

edit: let's see U2, 5 grams is about 1/5 of an ounce, and there are what? (it's been a long time since college...) 15 joints in an ounce? so maybe 3 or 4...

[MFFL]

Criminalization of drugs or alchohol is stupid. All it leads to is organized crime getting involved. Tax it HEAVILY and spend the money on programs to help those addicted to the products or on programs that stop people from trying the product in the first place.

[capitalcity]

Marijuana may stave off Alzheimer's

POSTED: 7:57 p.m. EDT, October 5, 2006

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) -- Good news for aging hippies: Smoking pot may stave off Alzheimer's disease.

New research shows that the active ingredient in marijuana may prevent the progression of the disease by preserving levels of an important neurotransmitter that allows the brain to function.

Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in California found that marijuana's active ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, can prevent the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from breaking down more effectively than commercially marketed drugs.

THC is also more effective at blocking clumps of protein that can inhibit memory and cognition in Alzheimer's patients, the researchers reported in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics.

The researchers said their discovery could lead to more effective drug treatment for Alzheimer's, the leading cause of dementia among the elderly.

Those afflicted with Alzheimer's suffer from memory loss, impaired decision-making, and diminished language and movement skills. The ultimate cause of the disease is unknown, though it is believed to be hereditary.

Marijuana is used to relieve glaucoma and can help reduce side effects from cancer and AIDS treatment.

Possessing marijuana for recreational use is illegal in many parts of the world, including the United States, though some states allow possession for medical purposes.

[chumdawg]

Originally Posted by capitalcity

Those afflicted with Alzheimer's suffer from memory loss, impaired decision-making, and diminished language and movement skills.

Somewhat ironically, that's exactly how I feel after smoking a fat one.

But seriously, this news doesn't surprise me. Nature gives us a lot that is good. In my mind, if it comes from the earth it can't be bad.

[purplefrog]

Research about twenty or so years ago suggested that marijuana slowed down the communication between brain cells. It was hypothesized that this was the reason for the slowness in thinking that can follow use of the drug. In fact most, if not all pyschoactive drugs have long lasting detrimental effects on brain function by causing structural changes. For example, in high doses ecstasy is a neurotoxin that destroys brain cells that use serotonin. These serotonin brain cells are the very ones that are also important for anti-depressant drugs to have their beneficial effects. So, if you destroy these cells then the concern is that depression may be a "side effect" of long-term ecstasy use. It is doubly sad because the treatments options will be greatly diminished due to the loss of important brain cells. Legalizing drugs for recreational purposes is really a bad idea imo. I am surprised about the new research on Alzheimer's disease and marijuana though. It is counterintuitive, but I will have to look into it.

[MavKikiNYC]

The bad news is just makes you forgetful.

Originally Posted by capitalcity

Marijuana may stave off Alzheimer's

POSTED: 7:57 p.m. EDT, October 5, 2006

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) -- Good news for aging hippies: Smoking pot may stave off Alzheimer's disease.

New research shows that the active ingredient in marijuana may prevent the progression of the disease by preserving levels of an important neurotransmitter that allows the brain to function.

Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in California found that marijuana's active ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, can prevent the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from breaking down more effectively than commercially marketed drugs.

THC is also more effective at blocking clumps of protein that can inhibit memory and cognition in Alzheimer's patients, the researchers reported in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics.

The researchers said their discovery could lead to more effective drug treatment for Alzheimer's, the leading cause of dementia among the elderly.

Those afflicted with Alzheimer's suffer from memory loss, impaired decision-making, and diminished language and movement skills. The ultimate cause of the disease is unknown, though it is believed to be hereditary.

Marijuana is used to relieve glaucoma and can help reduce side effects from cancer and AIDS treatment.

Possessing marijuana for recreational use is illegal in many parts of the world, including the United States, though some states allow possession for medical purposes.

[dude1394]

Marijuana .....can help reduce side effects from cancer and AIDS treatment.

This part I can vouch for. I know at least two folks who never touched the stuff but were undergoing chemo. Nothing would stay on their bellies and they both found some grass that helped a lot. Pretty comical really because these were some pretty straight old ladies.

[MavsX]

Originally Posted by purplefrog

Research about twenty or so years ago suggested that marijuana slowed down the communication between brain cells. It was hypothesized that this was the reason for the slowness in thinking that can follow use of the drug. In fact most, if not all pyschoactive drugs have long lasting detrimental effects on brain function by causing structural changes. For example, in high doses ecstasy is a neurotoxin that destroys brain cells that use serotonin. These serotonin brain cells are the very ones that are also important for anti-depressant drugs to have their beneficial effects. So, if you destroy these cells then the concern is that depression may be a "side effect" of long-term ecstasy use. It is doubly sad because the treatments options will be greatly diminished due to the loss of important brain cells. Legalizing drugs for recreational purposes is really a bad idea imo. I am surprised about the new research on Alzheimer's disease and marijuana though. It is counterintuitive, but I will have to look into it.

by "looking into it" do you mean a hands on case study?

[MavsX]

ya know stoners....with the results of the poll..it looks like the mavs forum is full of weed heads! up with hope..down with dope!

[capitalcity]

Link

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by capitalcity

Link

I may have read the same thing about small amounts of alcohol as well. May have even read about it in the past about tobacco.

As far as medical uses of marijuana, to me that's a red herring and/or a trojan horse, whatever you want to call it.

The folks who want it legalized want to get stoned...period.

[MavsX]

Originally Posted by dude1394

The folks who want it legalized want to get stoned...period.

Jackpot!

[Mavdog]

Originally Posted by dude1394

The folks who want it legalized want to get stoned...period.

well, yeah, it's not like they want to smell like pot...

that being said, if the "stone" provides therapeutic benefits why should the use be denied and criminalized?

secondly, the amount of $ spent to attempt to stop its use, which clearly has not succeeded, is a waste. it also ends up enriching criminals and destabilizes many countries south of our border.

control it like other drugs. tax the heck out of it. makes perfect sense to me.