*Editor’s Note: Dear Readers, I’ll be on vacation with the family for a few days, but fret not, because contributors will be stepping in with new content!
Running on legalizing weed nationally would bring out a whole group of people who might otherwise stay home. It is crazy that I can walk into a dispensary in my state and buy whatever I want while people in other states could face prison time. It is long past time to push for legalization, not just decriminalizing it.
I've used marijuana for almost 60 years. I've dodged law enforcement of all sorts from the Don Knots of local towns to the heavy duty thugs of the DEA. They never were able to catch me. I had luck on my side, but they managed to keep me paranoid and nervous half the time. Most of my friends and acquaintances have been busted. Some have spent time in prison. What was the purpose of all this effort for law enforcement to waste time and money trying to stop people from using a substance that's virtually harmless. The result is exactly what we predicted years ago. Complete failure.Trillions wasted. Lives ruined. Marijuana legalized in some form in 40 states. Has there ever been a more horrendous government policy? It's caused people to distrust the government and hate law enforcement. Yet, that insane policy still continues in many places. That's the main reason people call for defunding the police. Can you blame them? Marijuana is still illegal in my state. How much more of this attack on the citizens of this country do we have to stand? Will I die before legalization becomes a reality everywhere? Dear god, I hope not! I would like to be able to smoke one legal joint before I die.
It's legal in most states in the West, such as Colorado, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Montana & Alaska. I think it's also legal in most states in the Northeast, too. It tends to match pretty closely, but not perfectly, with which states are blue.
Still illegal here in NC, too. Fortunately my family is in Maryland and a close friend in NY, both places I can legally partake. Need to get on it already. But we have to break our super majority down here first 😤
Yes she convicted people of marijuana charges as a DA. That was the job of her office. How many did not face charges?
We live in a country where the rule of law holds (most of us) accountable. Unfortunately there are times when you have to roll with the system before you can change the system and change never happens at the right rate for everyone. Try to change too quickly and the people who can help you may resist thereby making another effort impossible. Change too slowly and the affected people ask when change is going to happen and call for your removal. I don't get mad at anyone skeptical of someone whose views have changed. After all, we're humans, and we should evolve and even change our minds when presented with proper facts counter to our beliefs.
We've all been screwed somehow by someone's flip-flopping of an issue. But There's a growing base for actual legislative change with the marijuana laws which, to be fair, was both wrong and racist when implemented in the first place. So as these older, knot-headed Boomers and their like-minded buddies who grew up and existed in a world where the pervasive collective thought was, "POT IS BAD!" are dying off and that fervor against marijuana begins to wane, it's easier to make changes.
But when you're a DA you don't get to set or change the laws. You have to follow what's on the books. Also, you're an elected official, so if you want to remain a DA then you might have to keep your opinions to yourself. Hell, there are attorneys who defend reprehensible and blatantly guilty people and work to have them found not guilty on whatever means they can find. How is that not any different from a prosecutor who is expected to apply the law evenly (and I'm pragmatic - I know it doesn't happen, but that's what we expect from our DA) even though it might be counter to her beliefs?
Running on legalizing weed nationally would bring out a whole group of people who might otherwise stay home. It is crazy that I can walk into a dispensary in my state and buy whatever I want while people in other states could face prison time. It is long past time to push for legalization, not just decriminalizing it.
I've used marijuana for almost 60 years. I've dodged law enforcement of all sorts from the Don Knots of local towns to the heavy duty thugs of the DEA. They never were able to catch me. I had luck on my side, but they managed to keep me paranoid and nervous half the time. Most of my friends and acquaintances have been busted. Some have spent time in prison. What was the purpose of all this effort for law enforcement to waste time and money trying to stop people from using a substance that's virtually harmless. The result is exactly what we predicted years ago. Complete failure.Trillions wasted. Lives ruined. Marijuana legalized in some form in 40 states. Has there ever been a more horrendous government policy? It's caused people to distrust the government and hate law enforcement. Yet, that insane policy still continues in many places. That's the main reason people call for defunding the police. Can you blame them? Marijuana is still illegal in my state. How much more of this attack on the citizens of this country do we have to stand? Will I die before legalization becomes a reality everywhere? Dear god, I hope not! I would like to be able to smoke one legal joint before I die.
It's legal in most states in the West, such as Colorado, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Montana & Alaska. I think it's also legal in most states in the Northeast, too. It tends to match pretty closely, but not perfectly, with which states are blue.
Still illegal here in NC, too. Fortunately my family is in Maryland and a close friend in NY, both places I can legally partake. Need to get on it already. But we have to break our super majority down here first 😤
Yes she convicted people of marijuana charges as a DA. That was the job of her office. How many did not face charges?
We live in a country where the rule of law holds (most of us) accountable. Unfortunately there are times when you have to roll with the system before you can change the system and change never happens at the right rate for everyone. Try to change too quickly and the people who can help you may resist thereby making another effort impossible. Change too slowly and the affected people ask when change is going to happen and call for your removal. I don't get mad at anyone skeptical of someone whose views have changed. After all, we're humans, and we should evolve and even change our minds when presented with proper facts counter to our beliefs.
We've all been screwed somehow by someone's flip-flopping of an issue. But There's a growing base for actual legislative change with the marijuana laws which, to be fair, was both wrong and racist when implemented in the first place. So as these older, knot-headed Boomers and their like-minded buddies who grew up and existed in a world where the pervasive collective thought was, "POT IS BAD!" are dying off and that fervor against marijuana begins to wane, it's easier to make changes.
But when you're a DA you don't get to set or change the laws. You have to follow what's on the books. Also, you're an elected official, so if you want to remain a DA then you might have to keep your opinions to yourself. Hell, there are attorneys who defend reprehensible and blatantly guilty people and work to have them found not guilty on whatever means they can find. How is that not any different from a prosecutor who is expected to apply the law evenly (and I'm pragmatic - I know it doesn't happen, but that's what we expect from our DA) even though it might be counter to her beliefs?
FIne get high meanwhile we're killing Palestinian children. Stop the genocide than go get high.
\Please/ Kinda hard to get mellow while our death star war machine kills innocent children in Palestine and around the world thru our sanctions.
Peace
Good to know!