L.A. repeals its ban on pot stores

The way to solve it is to just fucking legalize it all the way, already. Hopefully, soon.

I think it's time for this:




"Magnets for crime", my ass. My office used to get graffiti tagged MONTHLY for YEARS until the pot shop moved in next door. They have all sorts of security cameras in the parking lot and guess what? ZERO graffiti since they moved in a couple of years ago. Effin' ZERO.

mostly.

...The Drug Enforcement Administration was established on 1 July 1973, by Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1973, signed by President Richard Nixon on 28 July 1973.

The War on Drugs has been another untouchable "third rail" until fairly recently when the need for tax revenues has overcome the knee-jerk, dogmatic approach to controlling drugs in the US.

...President Obama's had quite a few higher priority items on his plate left behind by the Bush Administration to include reviving a failed economy, winding down two wars in the Middle East, and a fix for the healthcare system.

One more point, presidential candidates make a lot of promises prior to being elected. They find out what they can actually get done after they get elected.

He can't re-write them. The blame goes to Congress.

Per the Wiki,



Put another way, the rescheduling of any drug is, in the US, ultimately within the power of any sitting President (or his nominee) via threatened dismissal, or other retaliation for cause, of the Secretary of HHS. "Reschedule cannabis or you are fired" is, in fact, one of the possible options, along with "I refuse to nominate anyone for the position who will leave cannabison the current schedule".

So, Obama not only CAN do something Congress cannot but, in fact, has the power to do the Most Important Thing regarding the entire issue: he has control over who the nominee is in the first place.

Now government regulation and oversight is a good thing. Consistency would be nice.

I do favor a method to weed out bad dispensaries although bad press should be enough, it isn't fast or punitive.

When discussing marijuana legalization, a common theme seems to inevitably come up from those in favor. It goes something like this, "We should legalize pot and the government could make millions by taxing it".
While that sounds terrific at first, on closer inspection it is, in my opinion, a severely flawed logic.
I think everyone agrees that the price of dried marijuana flower is artificially elevated due to the fact that it is illegal. There in lies the "flaw". The fact that the price is artificially set well beyond it's worth.
Should it become legal, and adults were allowed to grow 2 or 3 plants, it is my contention that the value would stabilize somewhere around what any dried flower would be worth...not much.
Therefore, medicinal/recreational marijuana's potential as a tax revenue stream is basically nil. There will, however, be a huge tax savings however in not housing prisoners and burdening our courts.


Where the tax revenue can really be found

Industrial hemp.
This is where the true commercial potential shines through.
The 10's of thousands of potential homegrown products is staggering. By replacing wood, cotton, and many petroleum based products with hemp we could go a long way towards the "green economy" that our President talks about.
Industrial hemp would play a crucial role in the revitalization of our countries economy by putting people back to work, reinvigorating small business, and fortifying revenues.

What are we waiting for?

http://www.votehemp.com/index.html


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it seems as if this is the pattern.

a big issue about "legitimate" vs. "illegitimate" pot shops, and several other things along those lines.

not like here in Sacramento, where they threatened the property owners with forfeiture so almost everyone closed shop, and there were many. now, it's just delivery service, which qualitywise, is a poor substitute. they make you wait hours and you don't get much choice.

Specifically, "you don't get much choice." Really, medication should not be about making it taste the best for every individualized taste. I agree that it should be allowed as medically treated, but I know when I was taking a drug for some, the flavor was the LEAST of my concerns (it was the impact the drug would provide).

(and i was only referring to delivery services). i mean choice in QUALITY, not taste. when they deliver it, what are you going to say, "no, it's not what i want, take it back"? at least in the store, you get to smell it and see it before making your choice. some kinds just work better than others

oh, and i'm for total legalization, not just medical, fyi. cannabis has many uses. hopefully, oregon, washington, and colorado will lead the way there!

All individuals are different, so why should medication not be about individual "tastes" and needs?

Then next year the Supreme Court will make clear that local government cannot zone out or prohibit collectives that are working within the confines of the law, i.e.,
on-site cultivation and local patients . Then the people will say WTF " why can't we get the economic stimulus of Colorado and Washington when we consume even more weed and can grow more hemp ?" .... So .....really the war on drugs ends this year if the good people of Col and Wa want it to !

for possessing a natural plant why not decriminalize it and also reduce the incarceration rate and time wasted on arresting people.

Oh, wait, that'll mean less money for the prison-industrial complex.