Larry the Legend Loc: Not hiding in Milton

Since Marijuana was legalized, sales of beer have dipped. Coincidence?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3mUFYs-JUg

And yes, breweries do spend insane amounts of money lobbying (bribing) Congress to keep marijuana illegal. Now we see why.

For those who claim that there are no medical applications of marijuana, here's a little primer:
http://www.businessinsider.com/health-benefits-of-medical-marijuana-2014-4

OK, now for the legal BS:
I am not, nor have I ever been, a user or purveyor of marijuana or any other 'recreational' drug. I advocate for the end of prohibition because I see no good side to this pathetically failed 'war on drugs'. Not a failure? $40 billion a year and no end in sight. Reminds me of the equally failed 'war on poverty'. Or the outrageously egregious 'war on terrorism'.
http://www.drugsense.org/cms/wodclock

So who benefits from all this 'drug war' spending? We can start with the prison-industrial complex. Someone is arrested for violating a drug law every 19 seconds. Since December 31, 1995, the U.S. prison population has grown an average of 43,266 inmates per year. About 25 per cent are sentenced for drug law violations. The Vera Institute of Justice released a study in 2012 that found the aggregate cost of prisons in 2010 in the 40 states that participated was $39 billion. The annual average taxpayer cost in these states was $31,286 per inmate. Taking $30,000 per inmate as a round number, we get an increase of $322 million per year going into the prison-industrial complex.

Now, many of these prisons are corporation-owned and operated, meaning that every convict delivered to the prison represents roughly $30,000 per year of incarceration income. Add to that the fact that most (if not all) of these prisoners are a legal source of s***e labor and the profits really start adding up. Repealing drug prohibitions would reduce the prison-industrial complex income by some $322 million per year plus labor add-ons. No-one in their right mind would willingly give up that kind of income without a fight.

bdamage Loc: My Bunker

The folks in Cali celebrating....BIG time!

boatbob2

IF,you pot heads think that,that magic flower is the greatest,and not addictive,just go to Colorado,and talk to the Police...

Larry the Legend Loc: Not hiding in Milton

Just a couple of points:

1. Police are not medical professionals and therefore are unqualified to diagnose any medical condition, including drug addiction.

2. Dependency and addiction are words often used interchangeably; they do not have the same meaning. The term “dependence,” usually refers to a physical dependence on a substance. Dependence is characterized by the symptoms of tolerance and withdrawal. It is possible to have a physical dependence without being addicted.

3. Addiction is marked by biochemical changes in the brain after continued substance abuse. Substance abuse becomes the main priority of the addict, regardless of the harm they may cause to themselves or others. An addiction causes people to act irrationally when they don’t have the substance they are addicted to in their system. In essence, the substance causes a permanent chemical imbalance in the brain that is only addressed by further abuse.

A heavy user may become dependent on marijuana without becoming addicted. Addiction is possible in those who have not fully developed mentally, such as those under the age of 25. By using marijuana before full maturity, users risk detrimental effects on brain development and thus risk addiction.

boatbob2

When I said talk to the police,I meant about the crime wave,out of state homeless sleeping on the streets,cause they spent their money on pot...stoned drivers.

Larry the Legend Loc: Not hiding in Milton

I see. Well, I don't have a Colorado cop standing here but I do have the internet. Here's what I got back:

"The idea that Colorado is safer than the rest of the country is correct," said Scott Phillips, a criminologist at the University of Denver. "But even the rest of the country is safer than it used to be."

http://www.cpr.org/news/story/us-and-colorado-murder-rates-jump-but-still-historically-low

It seems we have a nationwide crime spike right now so Colorado is not exceptional. Also, "In terms of raw numbers, the city saw 51 murders last year -- a 10-year high. But the capital city's murder rate is less than half of what it was in the early 1990s."

"[L]ess than half of what it was in the early 1990s." That's less than half of what it was 20 years ago; long, long before marijuana legalization.

As for spending all of their money on pot; yes, it is possible. I would point out that the price of pot in Colorado is among the lowest in the country (surprise, it's legal now..) at an average of $200 per ounce. Assuming all other factors remain the same, the average pothead is spending about half as much as he used to on pot (assuming usage hasn't changed) and the price is still falling. Oh, and the real bonus? He's no longer a criminal!

Now, traffic accidents have actually seen a drop since marijuana legalization:

https://www.codot.gov/safety/alcohol-and-impaired-driving/task-force-documents/2012-documents/Medical_Marijuana_Law_Accidents_and_Alcohol_01-23-12_v1-1.pdf

Now, I grant that this study is over 4 years old and legalization is still in it's infancy so reliable statistics are a little thin on the ground but I'd say this is encouraging:

"In addition, legalization is associated with nearly a 9 percent decrease in traffic fatalities, most likely as a result of its impact on alcohol consumption by young adults. Our estimates provide strong evidence that marijuana and alcohol are substitutes." - Which brings me back to that whole 'spending all their money on pot' thing. If they are, they actually have more to spend on it....

I can't find anything confirming or denying 'out of State homeless sleeping on the streets', but wouldn't be surprised if it's accurate. After all, marijuana is legal in Colorado, people are going to go there so they can get high without constantly looking over their shoulders. Once legalization spreads to the other States, that should no longer be a factor.

Weaver

You seem to have it all laid out but there are other factors you have failed to mention. How many children go to sleep hungry, maybe stoned themselves from second hand smoke, or homeless? How about the mental health institution? One thing I've noticed in my life of 78 years is that things never get better when we approve things that harm people. It seems that you do not believe this but take a look at the piggies in the Phillippines. You may be looking at many in America 50 to 100 years from now.