Not trying to be a dick, but I feel like it's important that you realize it isn't the same. State vs. the country makes it sound as if everyone is against you. A lot of the states are on your side, as well as the majority of stand-alone Americans. The federal government is really your only enemy, so stay strong.
Funny how both states have governors that are opposed to these laws Jay Islee is not a personal supporter of I502 either and I think he is hoping that the Feds step in.
+21 No stores yet Cops wont take your weed They can give you a dui(blood test required) Can not grow or sell legally
That was the point I was trying to make to him lol. I didn't feel like making another post to explain, I'm just glad I'm not the only one that sees this
Wa and Co tried to take a step forward but as always Cali has the fin a l say. Wehave had pretty much legal weed here for awhile. What needs to change is the fedsthen all states will follow
I recently heard Colorado called the weed capital of America right now on the news or some shit, Cali needs to finally just legalize it instead of practically being legal lol
I am disappointed the "legalization" passed in Wa. From the beginning it seemed like there were a lot of greedy and totally ignorant government types involved. Sure enough, already counting the money before even figuring out a system, the State House passed a bill to allow MJ revenues to go toward early education.Washington State lawmakers already looking to tap marijuana revenue | Washington State Libertarian Party The way I read the initiative MJ would be taxed 25% at every stage of production and delivery as well as retail purchase. Also a separate licence would be required for growing, transporting, processing, and selling. So you would need at least 3 licences to grow, sell, and deliver to a retailer. 4 if you delivered anything like edibles (plus all the health dept. regs.). It would not "change any laws" concerning MMJ. Recently there has been talk of taxing medicine the same as recreational mj! on the local news. So much for that! I have questions that pertain to how this so-called legalization will identify a "Legal MJ Possession". Our liquor and cigarettes are required to be sealed and have a government stamp insuring taxes have been properly paid and collected. Possession of these items without the appropriate stamp is serious crime. I understand that enforcement efforts are rarely directed catching individual users, but not always. With something like MJ, especially with an established medical market and community, it is going to create a potential Pandora's Box of chaos for everyone when it comes to compliance with whatever process is eventually realized. I foresee medical authorizations being priced out of existence, along with the ability to legally "grow your own" without being taxed heavily and intrusively regulated. This is why I voted against I-502. I don't know what your definition of "legal" is, but I don't consider it legal unless I have the absolute right to grow my own!
^I know it's tough not to worry about final details, but the taxation issue is probably going to take care of itself. The beauty of having such an established black market system already in place is that the government can't just suddenly decide it has a monopoly. It will absolutely be competing for prices at some point.
Word all those dispensaries don't mean shit until you guys vote and make them available to EVERYONE. Yes I know getting a med card in cali is easy..Getting residence isn't...minimum 1 year.
The taxation issue will take care of itself, to be sure! My concern is at what cost to those who are currently able to participate in "MJ". It certainly will increase the cost in money, it's the penalties for violating restrictions that could make things ugly. The part that would merely be wrong is the cost of complying with the law could make people who currently are able to supply their medical needs by growing small amounts for personal use may find the increased costs of compliance prohibitive. It's not like someone who already purchases from the black market. Or even the "grey" market... Don't get me wrong. I am all for the LEGALIZATION of marijuana. It's just that legalization means you don't need anybody's permission to grow it and the gov't can't do anything about it. They don't tax, licence, and control the whole process. Which brings up the issue of how our Federal and State Governments tend to deal with "black markets" when they are "competitive". Ultimately, a government is able to exert it's authority in proportion to the force it is able to use and the violence it is willing to commit, if necessary.
Your understanding of the licensing system seems to fundamentally flawed. There are only 3 licenses, not 4, and it is actually much simpler than you seem to realize. Growers hold a "producer" license. People who make edibles and extracts, package the marijuana for sale and then deliver to retail stores hold a "processor" license. And people who sell weed in stores hold a "retail" license. A single person can hold both a producer and processor license or a processor and retail license. In regard to the rest of your qualms, they are all speculation. I personally don't think medical marijuana "patients" should be exempt from the recreational industry's regulations because the vast majority are just recreational users anyway. Marijuana laws are only going to become more lenient in the future thanks to the people who voted for I-502 and Amendment 64 (not you)
I personally think you ought to dig out your voters guide and read the text carefully. The taxes and fees are onerous. From the start, and they will do nothing but go up, because who feels sorry about taxing a bunch of potheads, anyway. The initiative was flawed, and didn't make mj anything like LEGAL, just gave govt the power to tax the shit out of it so you don't get hassled for possession, assuming you are still able to afford it a few years out... and for those who get priced out, they won't be thanking anyone. Also assuming the Feds decide to leave it alone. All it takes is someone to get into office who decides to enforce this federal law on the States. You may feel relatively safe under the current regime, but who will be next head of DOJ or DEA, and under what kind of administration? I would also like to know where you gathered the statistics to back your claim about medical users, because you wouldn't just be saying that without any evidence, would you?
I agree the taxes are extreme but saying they will do nothing but go up is, again, just speculation. If the current tax structure inhibits the industry's ability to compete with the black market then it is likely that the Washington legislature will lower the tax rate to a more competitive amount. I agree it is an unknown but the fact is that more and more states are legalizing mmj and congress is becoming increasingly aware that the majority favor legalization. More states will likely legalize recreational use before a new administration takes over and people will only become more tolerant and accepting of marijuana use overall. At a certain point it will become undeniable. The DOJ and DEA lost considerable funding from sequestration which will likely influence their marijuana agenda by forcing them to prioritize. There have already been various bills introduced in congress concerning marijuana decriminalization and legalization; people are waking up. If you look at my previous post I never stated any actual figures that would require citation and I even started with, "I personally don't think that...". I'll just assume you disagree.
I apologize for the mess, couldn't capture the quotes correctly.. . [quote name='DippedInSauce']I agree the taxes are extreme but saying they will do nothing but go up is, again, just speculation. If the current tax structure inhibits the industry's ability to compete with the black market then it is likely that the Washington legislature will lower the tax rate to a more competitive amount.
Mom in custody after 'letting her 22-month-old son smoke marijuana from a bong' | Mail Online This type of stupidity isn't helping the cause, either. I saw the local news story on TV and LE was complaining that they are seeing a lot more people just growing weed in their homes even with young children around. Not something that generates goodwill and approval...