Marijuana Legalization Bill To Be Introduced in Congress

[Donkey]

You probably saw the note last week from our friend, Niambe Tosh, announcing that at long last, a marijuana legalization bill will be introduced in Congress by Congressmen Barney Frank and Ron Paul, among others. We at SSDP are so excited to follow up on the incredible momentum of the past year and lend our voices of support to this historic legislation.

The bill would essentially treat marijuana similarly to alcohol, and it closely models the Webb-Kenyon Act for state-based control of alcohol laws. Before alcohol prohibition began, the Webb-Kenyon Act established the same type of law that now exists in the 21st Amendment. This law allowed any state to ban alcohol sales, but it also allowed states to regulate alcohol. Believe it or not, many states continued to ban the alcohol trade decades following the repeal of prohibition in 1933. For example, Mississippi continued to outright ban alcohol until 1966 and Kansas banned point-of-consumption sales until 1987!

So it would be with marijuana if this new bi-partisan bill were enacted. States would have the explicit authority to fully tax and regulate marijuana, and the federal law would protect the state's right to do that. But states could also decide to continue prohibiting marijuana. Because of this state-based approach, we are confident that many Republicans will find this model appealing.

I've dedicated many years of my life to this cause, both in my previous work and at SSDP for the past year, so this will be a momentous occasion for me personally. Check back here for more updates. Tomorrow will be a big day!

http://ssdp.org/news/blog/marijuana-legalization-bill-to-be-introduced-in-congress


I'm just happy because if this goes anywhere in the US, then no doubt the UK will follow suit as always :) Shows progress anyway.

[Maverick]

I don't predict to get this to get anywhere in Congress. Drug reform will happen at the state level first before it becomes national. In fact its already happening in a lot of states. Give it time but soon enough people will realize that the war on drugs has been a billions of dollars waste.

[Donkey]

People do seem to be realising pretty quick - the amount of effort in just the last few months in campaign against the War on Drugs has become very apparent.

[RoseyCadaver]

If it becomes legal ,you can bet me and my green thumb will plant it and sell it lol,good money.I HEAR!That is if it does become legal.Which I hope,but doubt it will within in this year.

[Tiberius]

People do seem to be realising pretty quick - the amount of effort in just the last few months in campaign against the War on Drugs has become very apparent.

Jon, the people in America are rather split. The majority of people under the age of 40-35 realize that weed should be legal in the NE, NW, SW along with parts of the Midwest and the south. However, there is a decent-sized portion of the the population that still thinks that wasting billions of dollars on preventing the use of something that isn't as harmful as alcohol is a good thing. I'd say that in Congress, the split would be close to 50/50 as long as the crazy conservative Christians in Congress don't get the other Republicans on their side.

[Sugaree]

If it becomes legal ,you can bet me and my green thumb will plant it and sell it lol,good money.I HEAR!That is if it does become legal.Which I hope,but doubt it will within in this year.

You would have to be a licensed grower, and I doubt you would get that much money unless you became a large enough company anyway. The shipping industry is pretty prominent though.

[RoseyCadaver]

You would have to be a licensed grower, and I doubt you would get that much money unless you became a large enough company anyway. The shipping industry is pretty prominent though.

Rofl,well you don't(at least where I live) need a license to grow tobacco :P.I would still grow it though,knowing me ^^,and where I'd live I'd make A LOT OF MONEY XD!

[Kahn]

I hope this actually gets considered.

[Sith Lord 13]

It's never going to pass, but it's still a good sign.

[Neverender]

Interesting that this was already tried in Ontario. Interestingly enough, it has yet to be appealed by Provincial court. If it goes nationwide in Canada, the US has no choice but to legalize it, or face a drug war on the hostile Mexican border, patrolling the coast, and on the longest unbroken border on earth to the north.

[Black Eight]

I'm afraid that this bill probably won't go anywhere (don't mark my words though). But it goes to show how far we've come since Reefer Madness and all that shit.

[The Joker]

I know the pot dealers definitely don't want this. I've seen quite a few documentaries on this, there is a huge industry for marijuana even though it is semi-illegal. It can be extremely profitable for dealers and distributors, but if it were legal, a lot of their profit would be out the window.

I think this is great. No longer will people have to get their weed from some shady ass dealer.

[User Deleted]

*sigh* I am alone in being unhappy with this. Oh well, better than so many descions the government could make.

[Korashk]

*sigh* I am alone in being unhappy with this. Oh well, better than so many descions the government could make.
I can't fathom a reason why this would make you unhappy.

[User Deleted]

I can't fathom a reason why this would make you unhappy.

I have asthma I don't need something else fucking up my lungs than what is already there

[Kahn]

I have asthma I don't need something else fucking up my lungs than what is already there

Just because it's legal doesn't mean you need to smoke it. Also, I have horrible asthma and I've smoked weed. That's a poor excuse for looking down on this proposal.

[Perseus]

I have asthma I don't need something else fucking up my lungs than what is already there

I doubt it'd be legal to smoke in public places. Which should also go for cigarettes, but that's another discussion for another time.

[Joe410ish]

I think it should be legal but it should be allowed to adults (older than 18 or 21) and there should be designated places where you can smoke it... You should not be able to go to a McDonald's and sit there, look at the kids, smile, roll a joint and smoke it in front of the whole PlayPlace kids

[Korashk]

I have asthma I don't need something else fucking up my lungs than what is already there
Decreased rate of use is correlated with decriminalization.

[deadpie]

I doubt it'd be legal to smoke in public places. Which should also go for cigarettes, but that's another discussion for another time.

I literally don't see any difference between smoking a cigarette and eating a big fat burger in front of someone. They both lead to a slow horrible death and you have the right to have both of them.

[Perseus]

I literally don't see any difference between smoking a cigarette and eating a big fat burger in front of someone. They both lead to a slow horrible death and you have the right to have both of them.

I never said people shouldn't smoke. I'm just saying in public places. I'm not a big fan of smoke being blown in my face; I fucking hate the smell and makes me cough up a storm. Burgers aren't deadly to the people around you.

[Donkey]

I never said people shouldn't smoke. I'm just saying in public places. I'm not a big fan of smoke being blown in my face; I fucking hate the smell and makes me cough up a storm. Burgers aren't deadly to the people around you.
I guess eating a burger in front of someone might increase the risk of them eating a burger which will damage their health.

[Perseus]

I guess eating a burger in front of someone might increase the risk of them eating a burger which will damage their health.

That's a weak argument. You need food to live. You don't need smoking to live.

[Donkey]

That's a weak argument. You need food to live. You don't need smoking to live.
I was being satirical Jake.

[Perseus]

I was being satirical Jake.

I never know with you. :P

[Dog Desab]

pretty awesome if you ask me. If it is passed (doubt it) there will be regulation of it. It's not hard to get alcohol, but it can still be a hassle getting compared to kush at least right now. Who knows how it could be if the bill is passed.

[User Deleted]

Just because it's legal doesn't mean you need to smoke it. Also, I have horrible asthma and I've smoked weed. That's a poor excuse for looking down on this proposal.

Second had smoke to the first half. To the second half, my asthma is getting better and I think if it is agitated it will be back to square one with asthma attacks where I can hardly breathe and couldn't speak if my life depended on it. It is not a poor reason thank you very much.

[Perseus]

Second had smoke to the first half. To the second half, my asthma is getting better and I think if it is agitated it will be back to square one with asthma attacks where I can hardly breathe and couldn't speak if my life depended on it. It is not a poor reason thank you very much.

There's no way it'd be legal to smoke weed in public. You can't drink alcohol in public; what makes you think they'd allow weed?

[User Deleted]

what makes you think they'd allow weed?


Nothing, just hypothetically speaking.

[Perseus]

Nothing, just hypothetically speaking.

You won't be affected if they legalize weed.

[User Deleted]

You won't be affected if they legalize weed.

Maybe, maybe not, but I garuntee more people would die than before...

[Perseus]

Maybe, maybe not, but I garuntee more people would die than before...

Die from weed? Wut?

[User Deleted]

Die from weed? Wut?

Well, yeah if its smoked. Cigarettes alone kill thousands of people yearly.

[Commander Thor]

Well, yeah if its smoked. Cigarettes alone kill thousands of people yearly.

Yes, that's cigarettes, which has about a bajillion carcinogens in them.

Last I checked, there were 0 (Yes, ZERO) deaths solely caused by cannabis.
(Don't belive me? Check for yourself: http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/30 )

[User Deleted]

So... why on earth is weed illegal?

[Sith Lord 13]

So... why on earth is weed illegal?

It's hard to tax because it's easy to grow.

[User Deleted]

What a lame reason... in that case, let it be legalized!

[Kahn]

What a lame reason... in that case, let it be legalized!

You went from disagreeing with it to agreeing with it in one page because you had your facts wrong. Awesome.

Yes that's an actual compliment. If you were arrogant, you'd stick by your belief no matter how wrong it is.

[Magus]

Do it like the Canadians.