legalization

I'm sorry to say, but maybe in the very distant future. The US as a whole is too damn stubbourn for something like this. I mean, look at the Gay Marriage battle, Mass. is barely holding on to what they've accomplished. And I just got my NORML email saying that the House of Reps just shot down a medicinal marijuana amendment.

It'll (hopefully) happen, but I'm just over 18, and I have doubts it'll happen in lifetime(okay so that's a tad bit of an exaggeration).

 

No way dude dident you hear they legalized it here 2 days ago

 

*Tommy chongs pearls of wisdom for the day*

I think in Britain it could be legalised, but not in the near future. I think the politicians know that they'll gain a certain amount of support from the middle class if they relax the laws a bit, but i think the thing that's stopping the party's from putting it on their manifesto, is that a complete legalisation will loose a lot of support from the middle classes, and it'll also make the government seem as if they're loosing the war against drugs, and a total legalisation would just be that push over the cliff that makes people think it's gone too far.
Although in America i think it's a much harder battle, as America is a very right wing, conservative country, the politicians are more likely to take up a less liberal aproach to it, so they can appear to be doing the 'moral' and 'christian' thing to do. I suspect that middle America will be far more against cannabis than middle Britain.

 

america is a prudent country where if the media or government says its bad then it is automatically bad
so unless we get rid of the government and the media it probably wont happen

 

It will be decriminalized before legalized.

 

like stoned said.

I think at first it will be approved for medical use. Then eventually decriminalized. Hopefully in my life time it will begin to be legalized. I highly doubt, however, that it will all at once be legalized. Rather in baby steps.

 

I believe the timeline will be something like:

Medical: Within 5 years.
Movement for nationwide decriminalization: Within 7 years.
Decriminalization complete: Within 10 years.
National movement for legalization begins: Within 30 years.
Legalization complete: Within 35 years.

But you know what? I'd be really happy if it was just decriminalized. More and more research is being done into pot and its effects, and more and more people are realizing how safe pot is (or at least don't assume it's on par with actually potentially dangerous drugs)... It still looks pretty bad, because Ashcroft keeps making more and more ridiculous laws in the War on Drugs. But you know what? More and more people are realizing how bad these laws are. A major CONSERVATIVE magazine recently published an article co-written by the head of the Drug Policy Alliance calling for the end to criminalization of pot. Even conservatives are starting to support our cause.

I'm optimistic about the end to marijuana prohibition! All it'll take is a lot of work, and a whole lot of STUBBORN. It's gonna take a while, but it's definitely possible.

 

oops sorry...cant figure out how to delete this.. my computer is being a pain. Could an moderator please delete this post?

 

any chance you could hook me up with a link to it?

or the text of it?

or the name of the mag and the title and author of the article?

i'm very interested in reading it.

thanks.

-the Infrequent Ninja

 

Technically is marijuana deriminalized or legalized in Holland?

 

I don't get it, what's the difference between deriminalization and legalization?

 

I'm fairly sure it's here

Simply put, decriminalization just means "you won't go to jail", while legalization means "there will be no penalties whatsoever". In other words, legalization would put pot on the same legal standing as alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, etc. Not entirely free of rules and regulations, but you won't get punished for it if you follow the rules.

Decriminalization could still include fines, but would ideally be treated like a speeding ticket. You'd pay a fine of not more than, say, $100, and you would not get a criminal record.

 

Thanks

 

My uncle lives there and technically it's legalized. But you can't just light up everywhere. You need to go to a koffee shop (yes, thats how its spelled.), or a hash bar, or your own home! i believe you can buy it at a hash bar too but ill have to ask him about it.

 

it's going to be a long time before pots ever legalized... america has had such an intensive anti-drug campaign that has brain-washed the majority of people into thinking pot is bad, they believe everything the government, or anti-drug programs tell them, and refuse to believe anything other then that.
Not to mention the fact that legalizing pot means america is going to be admitting it's wrong this entire time.... they've spent all that tax-payers money having cops arrest marijuana smokers and then lock them up in prison.... i'm not even sure if it's possible, but if they legalize pot won't there be alot of people in prison appealing to get out of jail, and sueing the government (or atleast trying to)

 

yeah, anyone thinking that any kind of major progress in the us will be made in the next few years is wrong. it'll be awhile. if only we could follow holland's lead. they've got it made.

 

it just pisses me off about america, i mean everyone talks about how fucking great it is and all this "freedom" shit... but really, it isnt that great.. like, there are so many more places where you have more freedom.. like BC, Holland, Netherlands... and im not sure where else... but like once im old enough to get my own place, i wanna move somewhere like that.. gettin outta such a corrupt, ignorant country..

 

There's a lot more corruption in America than just pot laws(in fact throwing marijuana smokers in jail is the least of our worries as much as some of you hate to hear). As for legalization, it'll never happen in my lifetime. America is run on strict conservative beliefs, mainly because of the large number of devout Christians. The only way we'd see it legalized is if the church changed it's views, which isn't going to happen anytime soon.

I'll be thankful with decriminalization, which is what we should shoot for since it's a more realistic outcome. Legalization would be great but don't expect it. Here's my guess on our future pot law timeline:

Nationwide medical marijuana: 10-15 years(some states will lag behind, plus America is very slow at putting things into effect at the federal level).

Nationwide decriminalization: 15-25 years. Once medical marijuana is in a new breed of activists will come about, mainly those who thought it was a devil drug until they got sick/hurt. This also includes family members who witness relatives smoking medical marijuana safely. Soon after they'll see it's not a big deal.

Nationwide legalization: 50-100 years, minimum. Thinking that our right winged country would ever admit it's wrong anytime soon is just absurd. More than likely it won't ever become legal until we stop voting for democrats and republicans, which is why I said 50-100 years. I believe it'll take about that much time before the people get sick of our two major political parties and vote another party in office. Now if this doesn't happen then I say 100-500 years with Democrats and NEVER with Republicans.

This timeline could be cut in half if stoners would get off their lazy asses, go to college, study law, and fight the system from the inside. As it stands now many of us are simply "sticking it to the man", rather than becoming part of the man.

 

Tobacco companies like Mrlboro, have enough power in the capital to legalize pot, but they don't ... did u know that! Someday I hope to buy *Mrlboro Greens “cigs” if they have to put tobacco in them ... ill just have to separate it....