Will Pot Be Legal In Your Lifetime?

[Excel]

Many political scientists and pollsters have noted that long reaching trends point to eventual legalization...personally I've never once smoked it and probably wouldn't if it was legalized but I think it should be legal.

[JJ Husker]

I think it will be decriminalized in the very near future and full legalization will take far less than 50 years and probably not even 25 years. The dominos shoud fall fairly quickly once decriminalization takes effect and more taxing authorities get a taste of the revenue possibilities. I am not opposed to it nor am I particularly anxious to see it happen. But I would probably inhale on rare occasions.

[HuskerShark]

I definitely think it will be legalized. I can't say I'm all that excited about it to be honest. I hate cigarette smoke, and I love Nebraska for making it illegal to smoke in public places. Every time I go to the bars near St. Louis where my girlfriend's parents live, I come home covered in smoke and it's disgusting. I honestly would vote in favor of a bill to outlaw cigarettes and cigars because of the smoke, and weed smells even worse.

[ccm420]

Pot is not without it's dangers. I believe tobacco and alcohol are as bad or worse.

 

I do not know if any long term effect studies have been done with any accuracy.

 

Bottom line: under the influence of any drug still makes you dangerous behind the wheel.

 

Since I'm older, I don't think pot will be legalized in my lifetime but ya just never know.

 

using marijuana and danger in the same sentence is pure ignorance.

[HSKR]

The question I have concerning those who think legalizing pot so we can tax it and use it as a revenue source is if the you tax pot at any considerable level won't people simply grow their own instead because it would be so much cheaper to do that then buy it? You can't exactly grow tobacco with ease on your own to make your own stock of cigarettes. Likewise, brewing your own beer or growing grapes and making your own wines isn't exactly the easiest or cheapest way to do things either. So even with higher taxes on alcohol and cigs, it's still cheaper and easier for the average guy to buy it with the taxes then produce their own. Pot on the other hand seems like it would be easy enough to grow your own stash in the basement or out in your garden with relative ease and low costs. I can't help but think if it was legalized there would be a massive move towards home production and all this talk of a tax source wouldn't amount to near as much as people think.

 

As far as legalization goes, I really don't see why not. No different then tobacco or alcohol IMO. I just don't buy that it will ever be a significant source of tax revenue.

[Omaha-Husker]

The question I have concerning those who think legalizing pot so we can tax it and use it as a revenue source is if the you tax pot at any considerable level won't people simply grow their own instead because it would be so much cheaper to do that then buy it? You can't exactly grow tobacco with ease on your own to make your own stock of cigarettes. Likewise, brewing your own beer or growing grapes and making your own wines isn't exactly the easiest or cheapest way to do things either. So even with higher taxes on alcohol and cigs, it's still cheaper and easier for the average guy to buy it with the taxes then produce their own. Pot on the other hand seems like it would be easy enough to grow your own stash in the basement or out in your garden with relative ease and low costs. I can't help but think if it was legalized there would be a massive move towards home production and all this talk of a tax source wouldn't amount to near as much as people think.

 

As far as legalization goes, I really don't see why not. No different then tobacco or alcohol IMO. I just don't buy that it will ever be a significant source of tax revenue.

 

You underestimate the laziness of people.

 

If you could just drop down to the gas station and pick up some weed, growing and taking care of your own plants wouldn't sound all that appealing I would bet.

[Blackshirts007]

Man i sure hope so, im an on and off user, when im on, i go hard, everyday about 3 times a day, when im off im off for months at a time. I dont believe in the "gateway" theory, i have never had the urge to try anything "harder" and never will, my friends have the same views. it seems like there is more and more research being done that is showing that this herb is not as bad as we portray it. there is an overall negative view toward this "drug" that is brainwashed into all of us beginning in the elementary years. Hell its caused 0 deaths from directly using the substance, and it is far less dangerous than the tar and nicotine in cigaretts/cigars. The only negative i have about it, is that is can be mentally addicting, not physically, but when you crave it, you definetly do. im also a person who gets paranoid a lot, and almost a mild anxiety id say. so there are times where i start to have a bad trip (when this happens i stare at the clock, wanting it to go fast, and constantly asking myself why i got high again) but then i quickly get myself busy and i have a great high. During the first moments when i start to get paranoid/anxious i feel like i forget to breath? has anyone else had a feeling like this? i constantly have to remind myself to breathe and almost slap myself in the face to bring a little sobriety. it sounds a lot worse and scarier than im wanting it to sound, but its when i space out i feel like im holding my breathe for some reason, and im not a new smoker either, ive been doing this for over 4 years.

[HuskerShark]

Man i sure hope so, im an on and off user, when im on, i go hard, everyday about 3 times a day, when im off im off for months at a time. I dont believe in the "gateway" theory, i have never had the urge to try anything "harder" and never will, my friends have the same views. it seems like there is more and more research being done that is showing that this herb is not as bad as we portray it. there is an overall negative view toward this "drug" that is brainwashed into all of us beginning in the elementary years. Hell its caused 0 deaths from directly using the substance, and it is far less dangerous than the tar and nicotine in cigaretts/cigars. The only negative i have about it, is that is can be mentally addicting, not physically, but when you crave it, you definetly do. im also a person who gets paranoid a lot, and almost a mild anxiety id say. so there are times where i start to have a bad trip (when this happens i stare at the clock, wanting it to go fast, and constantly asking myself why i got high again) but then i quickly get myself busy and i have a great high. During the first moments when i start to get paranoid/anxious i feel like i forget to breath? has anyone else had a feeling like this? i constantly have to remind myself to breathe and almost slap myself in the face to bring a little sobriety. it sounds a lot worse and scarier than im wanting it to sound, but its when i space out i feel like im holding my breathe for some reason, and im not a new smoker either, ive been doing this for over 4 years.

 

Craving it isn't that big of a deal. Alcohol and nicotine do the exact same thing.

[Excel]

This has got to be the most one sided hb poll ever

[Husker_x]

The question I have concerning those who think legalizing pot so we can tax it and use it as a revenue source is if the you tax pot at any considerable level won't people simply grow their own instead because it would be so much cheaper to do that then buy it? You can't exactly grow tobacco with ease on your own to make your own stock of cigarettes. Likewise, brewing your own beer or growing grapes and making your own wines isn't exactly the easiest or cheapest way to do things either. So even with higher taxes on alcohol and cigs, it's still cheaper and easier for the average guy to buy it with the taxes then produce their own. Pot on the other hand seems like it would be easy enough to grow your own stash in the basement or out in your garden with relative ease and low costs. I can't help but think if it was legalized there would be a massive move towards home production and all this talk of a tax source wouldn't amount to near as much as people think.

 

As far as legalization goes, I really don't see why not. No different then tobacco or alcohol IMO. I just don't buy that it will ever be a significant source of tax revenue.

 

There would be some home production, sure, but I think you both overestimate potheads and underestimate the work that goes into creating great strains of cannabis. There's a whole underground science to the stuff.

 

I love french fries. Potatoes are easy enough to grow. But in order to make homemade french fries, you have to do a lot of things over a long period of time. There's basic expense involved that probably makes a world of sense long term (like cannabis), but you have to be more than in the mood for french fries to make your own. I'm sure there are some agricultural types who are already growing in their greenhouses or out somewhere in the woods. I don't think that means the market is going to disappear. In fact, I'd be surprised if sales dropped at all with legalization.

[robsker]

Wow 20 -0.

 

I --- apparently just like all of you --- am inclined to think it will not be long before pot is legal. Seems rather inevitable.

[HSKR]

The question I have concerning those who think legalizing pot so we can tax it and use it as a revenue source is if the you tax pot at any considerable level won't people simply grow their own instead because it would be so much cheaper to do that then buy it? You can't exactly grow tobacco with ease on your own to make your own stock of cigarettes. Likewise, brewing your own beer or growing grapes and making your own wines isn't exactly the easiest or cheapest way to do things either. So even with higher taxes on alcohol and cigs, it's still cheaper and easier for the average guy to buy it with the taxes then produce their own. Pot on the other hand seems like it would be easy enough to grow your own stash in the basement or out in your garden with relative ease and low costs. I can't help but think if it was legalized there would be a massive move towards home production and all this talk of a tax source wouldn't amount to near as much as people think.

 

As far as legalization goes, I really don't see why not. No different then tobacco or alcohol IMO. I just don't buy that it will ever be a significant source of tax revenue.

 

You underestimate the laziness of people.

 

If you could just drop down to the gas station and pick up some weed, growing and taking care of your own plants wouldn't sound all that appealing I would bet.

 

While it is true not everyone would want to even try to grow their own, my point is if it is going to get the crap taxed out of it like cigs and one could grow their own for much less cost, I would think more people would do that, even at the cost of losing the convenience.

[husker_99]

Maybe, but I don't think it's going to happen in the next 25 years. As gen X and Y move towards retirement age I think there is a real possibility of it happening. Not so much because of gen X and Y (though that will help) but because the older voters like my parents likely won't be around. They've been beat over the head for so long about how bad all drugs are that they're not even open to the idea.

 

First thing that needs to happen is to get the federal government to respect the rights of the states to make their own laws governing it. California pot dispensaries still get raided by federal officers despite the fact that the are legal by California law. I had hopes that President Obama would be more open to legalizing it but from what I read he's every bit as entrenched in this war on drugs as his predecessors.

 

There's also a problem with employers. Legal or not, as long as employers are screening for it, it's going to keep people from using it.

 

I don't use it and I think it's ridiculous that it's illegal.

 

The Federal Government doesn't have to respect the rights of the state in this case because they overrule it. The states are only allowed to have laws that the Feds don't have.

[gobiggergoredder]

Pot is not without it's dangers. I believe tobacco and alcohol are as bad or worse.

 

I do not know if any long term effect studies have been done with any accuracy.

 

Bottom line: under the influence of any drug still makes you dangerous behind the wheel.

 

Since I'm older, I don't think pot will be legalized in my lifetime but ya just never know.

 

using marijuana and danger in the same sentence is pure ignorance.

Why?

[HSKR]

The question I have concerning those who think legalizing pot so we can tax it and use it as a revenue source is if the you tax pot at any considerable level won't people simply grow their own instead because it would be so much cheaper to do that then buy it? You can't exactly grow tobacco with ease on your own to make your own stock of cigarettes. Likewise, brewing your own beer or growing grapes and making your own wines isn't exactly the easiest or cheapest way to do things either. So even with higher taxes on alcohol and cigs, it's still cheaper and easier for the average guy to buy it with the taxes then produce their own. Pot on the other hand seems like it would be easy enough to grow your own stash in the basement or out in your garden with relative ease and low costs. I can't help but think if it was legalized there would be a massive move towards home production and all this talk of a tax source wouldn't amount to near as much as people think.

 

As far as legalization goes, I really don't see why not. No different then tobacco or alcohol IMO. I just don't buy that it will ever be a significant source of tax revenue.

 

There would be some home production, sure, but I think you both overestimate potheads and underestimate the work that goes into creating great strains of cannabis. There's a whole underground science to the stuff.

 

I love french fries. Potatoes are easy enough to grow. But in order to make homemade french fries, you have to do a lot of things over a long period of time. There's basic expense involved that probably makes a world of sense long term (like cannabis), but you have to be more than in the mood for french fries to make your own. I'm sure there are some agricultural types who are already growing in their greenhouses or out somewhere in the woods. I don't think that means the market is going to disappear. In fact, I'd be surprised if sales dropped at all with legalization.

 

 

Nobody is going to grow their own potatoes for french fries when a bag of potatoes cost $3. I don't think you can really compare growing weed to growing food when you know that if legalization occurs, pot will be taxed much the same that cigs are. It varies from state to state but if you look it up, most of the time half of what your are paying is taxes for a pack of cigs. The last I checked, smoking wasn't a cheap endeavor. Are pot users going to want to do the same thing when they can grow their own at a fraction of the cost?

 

OK, another question for you potheads. How many plants would it take to supply one person for a year? I can't imagine it takes too many, even for the heavy smokers. Now throw in the thought that some people will want to sell the extra to friends and neighbors to make some profit on the side. If the government does try to tax pot like cigs, I think there will be a huge black market since enforcement of sales taxes will be next to impossible to stop. I just don't see any scenario where there is going to be this big surge in tax revenue from pot. The same mentality of the people who are using pot illegally right now will continue to exist if it is legalized and heavily taxed.