Why Parents Should Support Legalizing Pot

Discussion in 'Marijuana News' started by oltex, Sep 24, 2010.

  1. Why Parents Should Support Legalizing Pot

    AlterNet / 09,23,2010


    "As parents, we know that education is often more effective than punishment, and in some cases punishment is not effective at all.
    "

    My son just started kindergarten. So naturally, I have been thinking a lot about the type of world and community in which I want him and our seven-year-old daughter to live. I am involved in a project to improve school lunches in our district to reinforce the nutrition lessons we teach in our home. I am a founding board member of a community group trying to improve our city’s parks. And I am working to help pass Proposition 19, the initiative to control and tax marijuana in California. It is important to me as a mother that my children grow up in a state—hopefully a country soon—that rejects the ineffective and damaging policy of marijuana prohibition. It may be counterintuitive, but legalizing marijuana will be better and safer for our children.

    I would like to believe my kids won’t ever choose to use drugs. But whatever happens, it is certain that prohibition does not stop kids from using marijuana, and that my kids will be exposed to it along with other risky behaviors. After all, about a third of high school seniors have used marijuana within the last year, a figure that has been relatively stable over decades across the country and has not been affected by variations in laws and enforcement. Moreover, it has long been easier for kids to get marijuana than it is for them to get alcohol. The plain fact is drug dealers don’t require ID, and legitimate businesses do. By taking marijuana out of the black market and placing it within the confines of safe, regulated, and licensed businesses that only sell to those 21 and over, Proposition 19 would actually reduce underage access to marijuana.

    While we don’t want our kids to try marijuana, if they do later on it can lead to very harsh consequences if they are caught, even for actions that are not harmful to others. And this next part is really scary: when a person is convicted of a marijuana offense, he or she is precluded from receiving federal student loans, will forever have a drug record that diminishes job prospects, and is precluded from many other benefits, not to mention being arrested, possibly serving time, and other harsh and harrowing outcomes. We don’t prevent even violent criminals from getting student loans. Or underage drinkers, for that matter. I don’t want people to have their lives derailed for a youthful indiscretion. Do you?

    To truly serve public safety, we should control and tax marijuana, since under present policies, thousands of violent crimes go unsolved, while police spend valuable and scarce resources targeting thousands of non-violent adult marijuana users. Arrests for simple possession of marijuana have tripled over the last two decades. The $300 million California spends each year on marijuana enforcement would better serve our communities spent on solving and preventing violent crimes. Any new tax revenues would better serve our children if spent on drug education, drug rehabilitation, and of course shoring up our crumbling public education system.
     
  2. you make a good point but there is a lot more to factor into the decision such as the economical standpoint, the fact that prop 19 is very poorly and loosely written, and that it would make laws harsher then current medical laws.
     
  3. smoke weed = no student loan

    beat your wife and kids savagely = student loan

    ?

    If what he is saying is true, then why is our beloved country promoting this image.

    This country sure loves its sauce.

    Why don't we just trade alcohol for marijuana and see how it pans out. Seeing as how the opposition to the movement keeps saying 'we dont need another substance legal in this country atm'
     
  4. He made several good points in this post.

    Yet I still think that Prop 19 should not be passed, yet. While it will let recreational use take place,it is still poorly written and the law has many loopholes that can get you in trouble.

    Besides, California has Prop 36.
     
  5. "He" didn't say anything- the author of the post is female ;).

    I started smoking pot in high school because it was easier to get than alcohol. Drug dealers never asked for an ID.
     
  6. Proposition 36? Care to explain?
     
  7. You gotta start somewhere.
     
  8. This is so true. Many kids say that it's actually easier to score pot than booze because they don't need a pull out. If you're selling something illegal, you aren't going to worry about the age of the buyer as legitimacy is not a concern.
     
  9. I can attest to this. Back in my High school days (A whole whopping 2 years ago!), I remember actually calling a guy to see if he'd buy us alcohol and ending up with a new connect for some dank :cool:

    I could buy pot almost whenever i wanted, even in the rural area i live in. But i bet out of all our attempts to get alcohol, we actually got it about 60% of the time or less.
     
  10. Note - i read only the over view of prop 36 but from what I gathered from prop36.org is that first and second time possession offenders get to go to rehab over incarceration. That isnt what I want lol, legalizing it even if there are some loop holes is still a huge step forward.
    Prop 36 does not even seem to really be about MJ, just possession in general, I guess it would be nice just to go to rehab when you got caught for why not go for prop 19.




    anyway off to read about loop holes in 19 but as far as 36, 36 dosnt seem too helpful.
     
  11. This is a very powerful essay. Thank you for sharing.
     
  12. It's basically as RSmokes said, it is a rehab program for those who catch a possession case. The court will order you to do a rehab program and be on probation for a set amount of time. After you have completed the program, your charges may be dismissed.

    Also, California has PC 1000 (which I am currently participating in). PC 1000 is much like Prop 36 except that it is only available for first time offenders with no prior felonies within 5 years. PC 1000 puts you on probation for 18 months and requires you to participate in a 12 week drug program. You will initially plead "guilty" to your charges (possession, under the influence, intent to sale/transport, etc etc.) but the court does not accept your guilty plea. After the 18 months of probation the court will dismiss your case.
     
  13. um, fuck that. they have drug court and probation option here in florida, and it's horrible. you spend a year in drug court and have to piss twice a week and each weekend a judge decides whether you spend the weekend in prison or not... legalizing it is what we need, not some more bullshit to deal with.
     
  14. For sure. I got arrested 2 states away. So I don't have to do piss tests or see a judge or any of that shit.
     

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