Medical Marijuana

[QuietC]

so, anyone got any opinions on the supreme courts ruling? Personally i think medical marijuana should be legal, not only for medical use , but anyways thats a different topic, so any opinions on the ruling?

[Drake]

i think it should be completely decriminalized.

[Roham]

It pretty much is in Canada

[SFG75]

You can find the case here-Gonzalez vs. Raich et al I for one, believe that the decision was a complete and total joke. The reasoning that what the two sick gals did constituted "interestate commerce" and thus, falls under federal jurisdiction was completely laughable. I liked Justice O'Connor's eloquent dissent. As long as the feds proclaim that anything you do in private might "significantly" affect comerce, then they can act at a whim under the commerce clause pretense without check. Justice Thomas also echoed that concern by stating that if the feds can but in on a case where two people grew their own pot in their own home, then they can do so anywhere else. There is obviously no balance here between federal and state powers.

[jaewing]

You can find the case here-Gonzalez vs. Raich et al I for one, believe that the decision was a complete and total joke. The reasoning that what the two sick gals did constituted "interestate commerce" and thus, falls under federal jurisdiction was completely laughable. I liked Justice O'Connor's eloquent dissent. As long as the feds proclaim that anything you do in private might "significantly" affect comerce, then they can act at a whim under the commerce clause pretense without check. Justice Thomas also echoed that concern by stating that if the feds can but in on a case where two people grew their own pot in their own home, then they can do so anywhere else. There is obviously no balance here between federal and state powers.

Good points. While the Federal Government and Supreme Court have taken up this issue under the "Commerce Clause" argument what they fail to show is that the state's individual laws will have an adverse affect on the commerce clause, which is a requirement for federal government to intervene. If a state's law has an adverse affect to either discriminate against another state (see the recent internet wine sales decision) or affects the free flow of interstate commerce then the federal government can intervene.

I believe that there was a sufficient enough question under the commerce clause for the Supreme Court to hear the case but there is insufficient facts to support their present decision.

Also . . . the whole issue is laughable. Decriminalize the whole "industry" and then either have government subsidized and run marijuana stores (much like the ABC stores on east and southeast) or allow it to be commercialized (like tobacco) then, as they always do, tax the hell out of it. Marijuana would then be legally available like alcohol and tobacco, which presently have high taxes, and it would also be available to people under a presciption (possibly better quality and no taxes).

Unfortunately, something this radical is never going to happen in the near future. Marijuana has become a villified and demonized substance up there with crank, cocaine, herion and the like. The creation of terms like "gateway drug" and such have served to push marijuana farther into the getto of the collective conciousness. This coupled with the fact that both state and federal supreme courts are populated by older justices with more "traditional" values when it comes to the use of marijuana for any reason.

One might think, after reading this, that I am a hard core marijuana smoker and keep my bong right next to my humidore. Actually, other than for medical uses I am PERSONALLY opposed to the use of marijuana. However, my personal beliefs should not be imposed upon the greater population just because I feel that marijuana use is harmful in most cases. Unfortunately, government, at all levels, has become the regulator of the individual lives and conciousness of its citizens . . . something completely opposite of its original purpose.

Sorry for the long-winded ramble here . . . this thread just caught me in a mood to write

[Drake]

i smoke pot everyday. i do no harm to other persons, i work a good job that is beyond my education, and i don't believe i deserve to serve time for my activities. which i have. i have never sold any or possessed more than, maybe, a half ounce of marijuana. when i was 17, at school, they did a random search of student's cars at my highschool and found 3 seeds and two little stems on the floor board of my passenger seat and arrested me for possession of .025g of marijuana. i served 18 days in county jail and graduated from an alternative school. i lost a scholarship because of this. i was not smoking at school. i wasn't smoking on the way to school. i didn't bring pot to school. a ticket, perhap would have been appropriate. but our laws don't work that way. but i know, i know. i knew it was illegal and i smoked pot anyway, and i knew what the consequences could be, so its my fault. but its bullshit. its all about the money. the fines we pay. the $200 a day the county receives for every day a person serves. bullshit! = my $.02

so, with that being my opinion; of course i think it should be ok for severly sick people to smoke it.

[labmonkey]

I smoked a lot of pot for a long time. I also drank a lot for a long time. now I don't do either one, but I think that it is rediculous that pot is illegal. of the two of my vices I can honestly say that alcohol was the worst and more dangerous "drug". Either one can be abused, but to say that pot leads to other drugs and what-not I think is a bunch of bull.

I tried a lot of drugs in my time, and I will tell you that the times I decided to try a drug I was DRUNK!!!!!! And I would not stay put....I wanted to go out...bar hop...DRIVE (I ENJOYED driving after a few)....PARTY!


You know what I wanted to try while smoking pot? The new burrito at Taco Bell...(ok a bag full of 'em) and that's if I could tear myself away from Cartoon Network. And I WALKED to Taco Bell because I didn't LIKE to drive high.

Most people I hung out with were the same way too. So which one sounds worse?

[jaewing]

i smoke pot everyday. i do no harm to other persons, i work a good job that is beyond my education, and i don't believe i deserve to serve time for my activities. which i have. i have never sold any or possessed more than, maybe, a half ounce of marijuana. when i was 17, at school, they did a random search of student's cars at my highschool and found 3 seeds and two little stems on the floor board of my passenger seat and arrested me for possession of .025g of marijuana. i served 18 days in county jail and graduated from an alternative school. i lost a scholarship because of this. i was not smoking at school. i wasn't smoking on the way to school. i didn't bring pot to school. a ticket, perhap would have been appropriate. but our laws don't work that way. but i know, i know. i knew it was illegal and i smoked pot anyway, and i knew what the consequences could be, so its my fault. but its bullshit. its all about the money. the fines we pay. the $200 a day the county receives for every day a person serves. bullshit! = my $.02

so, with that being my opinion; of course i think it should be ok for severly sick people to smoke it.

WOW that seems a bit excessive for .025 (a couple seeds and stems) . . . did they find anything else at home or test you? Not only is that excessive but I would have slo questioned the constitutionality of the search! Did they have a warrant to search the vehicle or did they rely on the motor vehicle exception? Random searches of cars at school seems a bit overreaching to me unless they had more evidence or statements to back up the search and to procure the warrant.

I agree . . . for a couple stems/seeds a fine, probation or community service would have been appropriate if not excessive as well.

[jaewing]

You know what I wanted to try while smoking pot? The new burrito at Taco Bell...(ok a bag full of 'em) and that's if I could tear myself away from Cartoon Network.

LMAO!!!

[Roham]

Man that sucks drake!!! I always hear of storys like that from the USA! Makes me I smoke pot too. Here in Canada I have been caught several times with around a half ounce of pot or less. Everytime they just stomp it into the ground with their shoe, or if it's too much, flush it down the toilet or put it in their shirt pocket(for later I imagine hehe). I also had a friend who just recently was caught with 2 pounds of pot!!! After just over a year of court his lawyer(high profile, best in the west) ended up just getting him a simple possesion charge and a fine Also it is legal in Canada to carry up to 1 ounce of pot, or a gram of hash(wierd, I know) without getting criminaly charged. Alls they can do is give you a fine. And they usualy don't even do that. Even before that law they never did much. There are so many more important things they can use their man power against, as well as their jail space

And to think a drug like alcohol is legal: it causes thousands of deaths a day from drunk driving. It brings out the worst violent tendancys in everyone.

There are a few reasons why I love Canada and this is one of them

[Drake]

WOW that seems a bit excessive for .025 (a couple seeds and stems) . . . did they find anything else at home or test you? Not only is that excessive but I would have slo questioned the constitutionality of the search! Did they have a warrant to search the vehicle or did they rely on the motor vehicle exception? Random searches of cars at school seems a bit overreaching to me unless they had more evidence or statements to back up the search and to procure the warrant.

I agree . . . for a couple stems/seeds a fine, probation or community service would have been appropriate if not excessive as well.

there were recent bomb threats, so the search was for the safety of the students. my parents wouldn't help me, so i ended up with a court appointed lawyer, who are paid if a plea is signed. i wasn't about to go to trial for something i knew i was guilty of with a court appointed lawyer, so i plead no contest for a 40 day sentence. my name isn't even on the lease of my girlfriend and my apartment because of my record; a misdemeanor.

[Roham]

WOW that seems a bit excessive for .025 (a couple seeds and stems) . . . did they find anything else at home or test you? Not only is that excessive but I would have slo questioned the constitutionality of the search! Did they have a warrant to search the vehicle or did they rely on the motor vehicle exception? Random searches of cars at school seems a bit overreaching to me unless they had more evidence or statements to back up the search and to procure the warrant.

I agree . . . for a couple stems/seeds a fine, probation or community service would have been appropriate if not excessive as well.

The problem is if he would of wanted a better result he would have had to spend WAY too much on a lawyer. The best he could find probably.

On another note, I went to the states once. And I made sure I emptied out my car of everything before I left. Well at the border they searched my car for an hour(no surprise, I almost expected it). But what blew my mind away was when she called me into her office and showed me a couple specs of green dust(2 small 1mm square pieces of leaf)she found between the seat now sitting on a napkin, as well as a pack of zig zags she found in the glove compartment under EVERYTHING in it( I obviously over looked it when preparing for the trip). For the next 20 minutes I had to assure her there was nothing in the car and I wouldnt of been so stupid and I know better blah blah blah... At the same time she was telling me how this was enough to charge me, hold my car, totally rip it apart searching it etc.... In the end she ended up just letting us pass but I tell ya....

[ggiese]

Don't even think about legalizing Marijuana... The anti-smoking groups would have a field day!!! Hell, I can't even enjoy a cigar in my local bar anymore...

[jaewing]

so i ended up with a court appointed lawyer, who are paid if a plea is signed.

I am not sure where you were from when that occurred but I can tell you that your above statement is generally false.

I spent a year as a bar certified student intern with the Public Defender. I was in court every day representing people for "crimes" like the one you described. We were paid an hourly wage, albeit a very small hourly wage, but it had nothing to do with getting our clients to accept a plea negotiation.

Under the facts you stated about the bomb threat the search of the cars seems proper and within the exception to the warrant requirements.

Your state either has very strict marijuana laws or your were sentenced very harshly if this was your first offense. Generally, similar cases I handled the client received an initial offer of 30 days of "work project" which is out of custody working with the local sheriff's dept. picking up trash on the highway. Generally, that then would be reduced by a third and then if you made no trouble for the Sheriff you were released from work project within 10 - 15 days.

[Drake]

I am not sure where you were from when that occurred but I can tell you that your above statement is generally false.

I spent a year as a bar certified student intern with the Public Defender. I was in court every day representing people for "crimes" like the one you described. We were paid an hourly wage, albeit a very small hourly wage, but it had nothing to do with getting our clients to accept a plea negotiation.

Under the facts you stated about the bomb threat the search of the cars seems proper and within the exception to the warrant requirements.

Your state either has very strict marijuana laws or your were sentenced very harshly if this was your first offense. Generally, similar cases I handled the client received an initial offer of 30 days of "work project" which is out of custody working with the local sheriff's dept. picking up trash on the highway. Generally, that then would be reduced by a third and then if you made no trouble for the Sheriff you were released from work project within 10 - 15 days.

i very well could be mistaken about the court appointed lawyer thing. just what i heard. i live in texas. my first day in court, i saw a girl in college get sentenced to 6 months for her first offence for poss. of an ounce. (she also ran her car into a tree) some of the judges are real asshole about pot. and i had one of them. a lot of people end up with 6 months probation for the first offense with a decent lawyer. o, and my liscence was suspended for a year. ANY drug conviction in the state of texas, lisence gets suspended for a year. DWI's, its just 3 months. our country as a whole is more strict on trafficing marijuana than it is on murder. its just rediculous.

[guenzak]

I am in no way straight laced and I used to smoke pot all the time when I was younger but I have to disagree with Drake on a couple of points. When you say that you are not hurting anyone else by smoking pot that is a bit short sighted. The money that you spend may initially go into the hands of your friendly neighborhood aquaintance but if you follow thet trail all the way the money ends up funding foreign dealers, growers, er organized criminals. They are involved in all sorts of activities including murder, child slavery, etc. to advance their money making ventures. I no longer smoke pot because it led me to other, more dangerous drugs but if I did decide that I wanted to smoke again I would not; simply because of where the money goes. And as long as it is illegal that is where the drug money will continue to go Just something to consider.

Secondly when you say the reason they busted you is all about the money that is not quite correct. If the government were to legalize pot and tax it they would make far more money than they do off of the fines they currently enforce...

[QuietC]

If they're so worried about the money from pot going to other countries and "supporting terrorist" (which i think is a load of crap they just keep saying in order to keep the people of our country scared and that way they can get the people to agree with what they do)then they should watch our borders better and not let it in our country in the first place.
As of weed being a gate way drug, it wasnt that way for me, i've tried alot of things, almost everything out there, but it wasn't because of weed, it was because i wanted to try it.

but then again, thats just my thinking. legalize weed, then the gov. can control it and then they dont have to complain and make of slogans like supporting terrorist, make harsher penalties if your out driving while high or maybe even in public, and make harsher penalties on the harder drugs.

[guenzak]

(which i think is a load of crap they just keep saying in order to keep the people of our country scared and that way they can get the people to agree with what they do)

I agree totally that our current gov is saying things trying to keep us scared to further their agenda but if you notice I purposly left out terrorism when I mentioned what drug money goes to fund. There is no way to deny that organized crime is the biggest benefactor of the money generated by drug use.

Legalizing it and controling it is an option but it is addictive. Well so are tobacco and alcohol and there in lies the debate.

[QuietC]

i understand some people can get addicted to things, but i don't think you can get addicted to weed. Then again, i don't feel sorry for people that get addicted to anything, they should have better self control.

[Drake]

I am in no way straight laced and I used to smoke pot all the time when I was younger but I have to disagree with Drake on a couple of points. When you say that you are not hurting anyone else by smoking pot that is a bit short sighted. The money that you spend may initially go into the hands of your friendly neighborhood aquaintance but if you follow thet trail all the way the money ends up funding foreign dealers, growers, er organized criminals. They are involved in all sorts of activities including murder, child slavery, etc. to advance their money making ventures. I no longer smoke pot because it led me to other, more dangerous drugs but if I did decide that I wanted to smoke again I would not; simply because of where the money goes. And as long as it is illegal that is where the drug money will continue to go Just something to consider.

Secondly when you say the reason they busted you is all about the money that is not quite correct. If the government were to legalize pot and tax it they would make far more money than they do off of the fines they currently enforce...

i don't buy pot that's grown in dirt that came from mexico. i buy pot that is grown in water by someone in my city. and perhaps it is not all about the money. but regardless what the reasoning is, it is senseless. if they would legalize it and tax it, then that would reduce the money getting to these murderers you're so worried about.


you not buying a bag of pot won't stop someone from being murdered or free a slave, nor will it reduce the chances of either of these.

we should stop buying gas, so innocent middle easterners will stop being murdered.