A question about pot and it's illegality...

[Javaman]

first off, I don't smoke it. Allergies. it kills my sinus's.

however, I'm completely for it's legalization.

given the current landscape, it appears as if that it might become legal within the next 10 years.

But before that time, various states have tried to legalize it, reduce the penalties, etc.

what if a state passes a law or chooses not to prosecute anyone in possession, growing, using or distributing it?

While it still would be illegal on the books, the new law would stop imprisonment and/or punishment for the above offenses.

would this fly?

[RZM]

1. Not enforcing laws against possession of small amounts is the fist step towards changing them

Back in the 90s, before he attained fame for his pink jumpsuits and outdoor pens, I remember seeing Joe Arpaio interviewed for a few news docs and stories about marijuana. He usually argued that enforcing laws against possessing a dimebag was a waste of time for the police, but if the law is on the books, you should enforce it. It was essentially his roundabout way of saying that such laws might not be worth the time and energy it takes to enforce them.

I used to be a reporter and I remember I had an off the record conversation with a police officer about this issue. He said that in his community, most drug activity was 'a bunch of high school kids smoking a quarter bag in the park with their friends.' Again, I got the impression that what he was really saying was 'who gives a shit?'

A few blocks from my house there is a large festival in a park every June that attracts tens of thousands of visitors. There's a heavy police presence, but lots and lots of people smoke pot openly there (you literally can't walk 50 feet in any direction without smelling it). It's never openly stated, but it's understood that as long as you behave, the cops aren't going to hassle you for getting high. I'm sure there are many other informal truces that happen all the time around the country.

Those are the first steps I think. Once we reach a consensus that enforcing possession laws isn't worth it, you'll start to see real movement towards repealing them. Laws against trafficking and possessing large amounts will continue to be enforced and people will still go to jail for that, but hopefully we can at least start allowing people to have small amounts for their own use. Once that is established and cases dealing it make their way through the courts, it's only a matter of time before the government says 'fuck it' and makes it completely legal and regulated so they get their cut through taxes.

It will happen in baby steps, but those steps will add up. I give it 25-30 years until it's fully legal. Probably 10 or so before decriminalizing small amounts is a real possibilty. Not coincidentally, this will be when 'Generation Y' is in its 40s and exercising real power in civil society.

[Tsiyu]

2. No

the laws could still be abused.

A friend with cancer needs cannabis now - via foodstuffs only.

We try to talk him into moving to a state where it's legal. The penalties here are ridiculous for sick people.

Draconian penalties on something safer than alcohol or cigarettes or chronic cheeseburger consumption...

[EstimatedProphet]

3. It would fly only if the feds allowed it to

Cannabis is still a Schedule 1 drug. The feds can arrest anyone in the United States for possession if they want to, but they typically don't want to for very small amounts because it's not worth the effort. If an entire state decided to go legal, they might just decide they want to, and California has gone through crackdowns on dispensaries by the DEA even though those dispensaries were operating within legal state guidelines.

[etherealtruth]

7. unfortunately very true

[WingDinger]

4. First off, you need not smoke it. Second off, you might try organically grown.

Third, usually those that flout laws get funding threats. fourth, in California, the feds acted independently within our region without our approval.

[tuckessee]

5. The Federal Gov't would crush any state that tried such a move. n/t

[mdmc]

6. ..