5 replies to this topic

[Lysistrata]

I called this many months ago here on these pages. I knew it would happen, and our glorious Republican led Congress must immediately move to repeal all Federal laws on marijuana. Seven states, including my own state of Nevada, have ignored Federal laws on marijuana, opened up shops selling it everywhere, and ignoring Federal law is just a really stupid thing to do. Someone will come along and decide to enforce what Obama was stupid enough to ignore. His name is Jeff Sessions.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/01/04/attorney-general-jeff-sessions-to-end-policy-that-let-legal-pot-flourish.html

 

I'm not a pot user. I never liked the stuff... but I know many people who do. They are not violent, homeless, degenerate drug abusers. They are normal everyday people that smoke a joint instead of drinking a beer, and the Feds need to let this go. Let the states work this out, and we will all live a little more free.

 

Any thoughts gang?

[ccabal86]

Not really. I've read articles on how legalization creates good tax incomes for states, and I've read articles that claim that's not quite the case. I've read studies that claim marijuana is beneficial to one's health and I've read others that it's use is closely linked to dementia. I'll leave this one to others.

Myself, I don't consume any recreational substances that dulls my mind or alters my senses (that includes alcohol).

[Finster Baby]

I called this many months ago here on these pages. I knew it would happen, and our glorious Republican led Congress must immediately move to repeal all Federal laws on marijuana. Seven states, including my own state of Nevada, have ignored Federal laws on marijuana, opened up shops selling it everywhere, and ignoring Federal law is just a really stupid thing to do. Someone will come along and decide to enforce what Obama was stupid enough to ignore. His name is Jeff Sessions.
 
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/01/04/attorney-general-jeff-sessions-to-end-policy-that-let-legal-pot-flourish.html
 
I'm not a pot user. I never liked the stuff... but I know many people who do. They are not violent, homeless, degenerate drug abusers. They are normal everyday people that smoke a joint instead of drinking a beer, and the Feds need to let this go. Let the states work this out, and we will all live a little more free.
 
Any thoughts gang?

Good thing I was sitting down - we agree on something political!!! *gasp*

I've been saying this for years - legalize cannabis and tax the hell out of it.

[SeaBeeGipson]

Honestly legalizing on a federal basis may implore more states to follow. The problem I've heard from these states that already allow it is the property values and rent rates have gone astronomically high for low income families to struggle even more. Legalizing on a federal basis I would imagine would lower these rates as there is less of a "exodus" to existing areas already legalizing it

[Lysistrata]

Congress would not be "legalizing" marijuana. They would be taking it off the list of drugs on Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substance Act, which classifies marijuana the same as heroin and cocaine... highly addictive with no medical value. States that have medical marijuana, there are about 40 of them, the doctors cannot legally prescribe marijuana to their patients... it's illegal under Federal law. They have to "recommend" it's use under the First Amendment. Crazy right?

 

Cigarettes are extremely addictive... I am living proof of that one. I drink wine, beer, martinis... I'm not addicted to alcohol at all, and I can spend days without drinking, but I know many people who can't even taste alcohol anymore because they won't be able to stop drinking if they do. These are legal, more addictive, not much medicinal purpose, regulated, and much more harmful from the information we have available.

 

The real harm right now is we have states that it's legal, and states that it is not. All the hard core stoners are all crammed into these few states. Some businesses have left these states because they can't keep their employees from coming back after lunch stoned out of their minds. This must be treated as mundane and innocuous as alcohol and tobacco. Then everyone will be more responsible with their recreational things. There is a time and place when we drink and smoke... and there are times and places that we don't.

 

Marijuana is not heroin or cocaine, and all of us that have fought so hard, for so long, to keep it listed as a harmful drug... we have to accept the fact that it is not. We have been wrong about this. There are bigger problems out there my friends.

[HackSlash]

I'll give my two cents on this one.

On 1 July recreational use of marijuana will be legal in Canada.

To be honest, I happen to agree that it should be.  I'm sitting here drinking beers, so why would I decry and condemn another person's choice of drug.  That would be hypocritical.

Do I believe weed is harmless.  No, not for one second.  I don't care what you've found after spending an afternoon of intensive study at Google University's School of Medicine.  It's a drug, and it will have an effect.  I laugh at the people who proclaim that marijuana will cure all ailments.  So will 'Dr. McCullcaides Medicinal Elixir.  Made with ancient herbs from the far East"  (Red Dead Redemption, patent medicines).

I digress.

The Trudeau government's decision to legalize marijuana has been a subject of national debate.  Not as to whether it should be legal, but how it should be controlled.  Unless you want me to launch into a discussion of the division of powers as defined under s.91 and s.92 of the Constitution Act 1867 (which I can do), accept what I'm about to say.

Criminal Law is the preserve of the Federal Government.  All they have to do is, by act of Parliament, declare that marijuana is no longer subject to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (which is part of the Criminal Code of Canada).

However, regulations as to the sale and control of alcohol and tobacco, of which marijuana will fall, is subject to provincial jurisdiction.  I know that some provinces have decided to sell marijuana via agency stores.  Namely Quebec (SAQ), Alberta (AGLC), and Ontario (LCBO), others have chosen to sell via privatized dispensaries, others have gone for a mix.

As Lys correctly pointed out, in regards to business.  There are numerous employers struggling to determine how to deal with the legalization of marijuana.  There are millions of Canadians who work in high risk occupations, that you wouldn't necessarily want stoned out of their gourd who while performing their duties.  Under s.8 of the Constitution Act 1982, we are protected from unreasonable search or seizure.  The courts have upheld that right and have determined that employers cannot perform  drug testing, unless they have reasonable cause to suspect that the majority of their employees are under the influence.  Randomized is fine, as long as it is anonymous. 

I've noticed that some of you have said, "legalize it and tax the hell out of it."

That defeats the purpose.  The idea is to take the sale of marijuana out of the hands of criminals.  If it's taxed to high, why would the end user choose to patronize a pot store over "the guy", he/she has always gone to?

Case in point, cigarettes are highly taxed in Canada.  A pack of 25 Pall Mall Regs costs $9.80 in Quebec.  It can get as high as $16.00 in some provinces for Players, DuMaurier,  or RJR MacDonald.  There is a thriving black market for smokes. 

After the last round of Federal/Provincial debates the tax rate for marijuana was set at $1.00 per gram ($0.75 to the province, $0.25 to the Federal).  The various level of governments have stated that the sale of marijuana will not be a revenue stream.  Revenue will be lost because of the increased costs of Addiction Awareness, Education, Health Care, Police Training, and etc.