Parents, would you accept Prop 19 in your state?
What are your thoughts on Prop 19?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Proposition_19_%282010%29
This is a law that is trying to be passed in California’s November election. Basically, a lot of people feel that this will help California get out of its budget crisis. We are 42 billion dollars in debt, which is one of the highest in the nation and we also we just raised gas taxes and sales tax is 10.75%. Gas taxes in the state of California are 63.9 cents per gallon goes to federal and state gas taxes. (OUTRAGEOUS!)
As a voter would you vote for Prop 19 if this prop is trying to be passed in your state? Why or why not? Do you think marijuana should be legalized as a way to get a state out of its budget crisis?
ahahahahahahaha… that’s too funny
as a user… i wouldn’t want my government regulating it… sorry…
you know it will never work…
I think if you legalize it, you can control it more and the government can get out of debt with the taxes on it.
I would vote for it. I think it needs to be nationwide as the debt is nationwide.
Yes, in hopes it would lower our property taxes.
Yes, I’d vote for it. They’re going to smoke whether it’s taxed or not…might as well make some money off the losers.
Why not? Alcohol and cigarette taxes help support the government. People are going to do it regardless if it’s legal or not. If it started be coming legal it could be regulated (like alcohol), less drug dealers, less violence, harder for kids to get hold of, less people crowding up our prisons for nonviolent crimes. If it really would create that much revenue for the government I would definitely vote for this proposition.
That is very hard to consider. I think I would just because I feel like alcohol is on the same level as marijuana as far as what it does to people’s minds. I wouldn’t want my daughter to smoke but I know she probably will try it one day. As a mom I am not sure. Tough decision.
I don’t particularly trust the government regulating what I put into my body. Look at cigarettes, that’s regulated and they put all this crap into them that isn’t necessary because they need you to stay addicted in order for them to make any money. There have been studies proving that they up the amount of addicting additives in cigarettes on a regular basis to make it more difficult for their customers to quit. I’m all set with that. I don’t think marijuana should be illegal, but I don’t think our government should control it either.
*Edit- also, we as a nation will always be in debt. Our money isn’t even minted by our government. We borrow it from the Federal Reserve System and pay interest on what we borrow. Then our taxes are used to pay off a portion of that but it’s never enough, nor is it even constitutional. Trying to fight that argument in court though is pointless so I’d continue paying your taxes. Anyway, as long as we continue to use our current form of currency we will remain in debt as a nation.*
I would not only accept it, I would encourage it. Too bad my state is uber conservative, probably won’t be on the docket for quite awhile…
ETA @ Ellen – Um, it’s still *illegal* to drive while under the influence of controlled substances, and it’s also against almost every employer’s conduct code. There is no reason to think this would be any different for marijuana. Duh.
i honestly don’t have a strong opinion on the legalizing marijuana issue (yes, there are three or four issues in the world i don’t have a strong opinion about). i wouldn’t lobby one way or another but if it came down to it, i’d probably vote in favor of legalizing. generally speaking if there’s not a strong reason to make something illegal, it probably shouldn’t be.
but — and i am possibly missing something here because i haven’t followed the debate — given that wikipedia claims that “As of October 2010[update], even if the proposition is passed, the sale of marijuana will remain illegal under federal law via the Controlled Substances Act”, i am at a loss to understand how the state thinks they’ll suddenly be reaping in money from taxing the sale of marijuana. they think people will be reporting and paying tax on sales that are federal crimes?
So it appears as if all the ramifications for ‘intent to sell’ would remain in place. It’s just that should you have a small amount on you for personal use the taxpayers aren’t going to pay out the wazoo for you to sit in jail over a period of time for something so ill-important. Same issue arose w/beer & liquor & the age & what not & even after all the issues with irresponsible drivers it remains legal for those responsible individuals.
Personally I see no problem with Prop 19 & can see where California is being forced to these measures over some of the irresponsible spending that placed them in this position to begin with.
Not to mention, have you ever seen someone under the effects of marijuana? They’re not exactly speeding down the freeway, I could probably walk faster. LOL
Also, it has some wonderful medical uses; i.e. cancer patients, bipolar patients, schizo patients, autistic patients, etc.
As long as laws for the “criminals” remain enforced, what’s really the difference from coming home after work & smoking a bowl/joint or having a beer?
NONE of my opinion is from personal experience. I have no interest in finding out what it feels like to be sitting on 10 phone books when I’m laying on the floor; however, when pondering your question I fail to see the actual ‘harm’ in this law.
Things to make us go Hmmm…..
I am in favor of legalizing marijuana. I think it should be legal across the board – all over the country. I don’t think it should even be put up for a vote. Just make it legal, tax it, and call it a day. Cigarettes are more deadly than pot, so where are the laws to have smoking criminalized? No, no, we can’t do that. It’s people CHOICE to smoke cigarettes and endanger their health, right? So why the double-standard?
Yes I would. Marijuana is no different then cigarettes and the government taxes the heck out of them, so why not do the same with marijuana?
No, because prop 19 was written by stoners, who left out a lot of important details.
So basically, prop 19 would make it legal for people to do their jobs while high. Do you want truck drivers high while on the road? Because their employers wont be able to do anything about it. No thanks, I don’t want that legal.
I think there’s always a risk when you’re trying to balance your budget based on someone’s vice. The state then has a conflict of interest in wanting people to stop a certain behavior when it brings in income for the state.
That said, even if CA legalizes pot it’s still federally illegal. All it will take is a hardass in the white house for people to be shut down. And all those legal tax returns are perfect fodder in court.
The short term financial gains from legalization, do not outweigh the long term financial cost associated with it. I’m also curios to see what the federal government does if it passes.
YES.
I want my local gas stations and supermarkets to sell marijuana alongside the beer and wine they currently sell. I want these stores to undercut the illegal marijuana prices, making marijuana much harder for kids to obtain and forcing the violence out of the marijuana market – just as they do with alcohol today.
I want EVERY DOLLAR spent on marijuana in this country to be taxed and to remain in the United States and NOT be smuggled to Mexico for bribing Mexican authorities and paying cartel “hits”.
And I want the quality and potency of marijuana to be tested and guaranteed by the government, just as alcohol is today.
If it was for medicinal purposes sure. Otherwise, no.
Yes I live in Cali…And I’m all for it.
I think if people can grow their own for personal use or get it at a government monitored facility they won’t be smoking some crap that’s trucked in from Mexico and dipped in acid.
It will be Safer for the users, It will benefit our economy, It will put the Mexican drug runners out of business.
Everyone here is half baked half the time anyway…might as well get some good out of it.
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What I think is hilarious about this…is all of you seem to think that people don’t go to work stoned NOW.
I will venture to say that in my community of mostly professional people 60% use it and you’d never think it, never know it.
If anything legalizing it will make it LESS accessable to the younger crowd because it will be mainstream and a lot more monitored.
I think they want to legalize it so that the government can pocket money over people’s addiction to it, just like the government pockets money over cigarettes. Furthermore I do not support the use of marijuana or other illegal drugs but that’s more of a personal opinion of mine.
Think about this also: We legalized alcohol and put restrictions on it by law. Yet people still drink and drive, go to work drunk, get drunk and commit crimes. You think it will be any better than when we legalized alcohol if they legalized pot?
What’s to stop someone from going to work while stoned? What’s to stop someone from driving while stoned? You can’t. And by allowing the sale and use of marijuana legally these incidences will only escalate.
So no I don’t agree with Proposition 19.
If you want to get California out of debt, stop the politicians of California from robbing the people blind.
NO! If I had kids, I dont want them smoking POT! I dont want anyone else smoking pot either. Its dangerous and its a gateway drug. I want a drug free community free of drugs and crime.
I smoke pot. I’d like to be LEGALLY smoking it lol. Obviously I would vote yes.