Professional Soldiers ® - Legalizing pot makes Mexican Cartels even more dangerous.

Professional Soldiers ® (http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/forums/index.php)

- General Discussions (http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=46)

- - Legalizing pot makes Mexican Cartels even more dangerous. (http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44631)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Streck-Fu (Post 536857)

Decriminalize it. Treat it like alcohol. Anything would be better. It would still be illegal to operate a car and businesses could still hire and fire based on drug tests.

Ironically, I agree. Similar to illegal immigration-the water's under the bridge; seal the border and free the ones who are here (you'll be surprised how many go right back down south.)

Release the guys in jail for pot, legalize it and tax the crap out of it, because they're gonna get it, anyway.

Most crime has some association with drugs, and a lot of naive people grow and sell from their houses. I don't feel bad for these victims, who get their doors kicked in by criminals, because they're taking a risk under our current system. Even customers of dispensaries are targeted. License plates written down, addresses gathered, all kinds of bad things related to the procurement of marijuana.

If it was regulated, taxed, and the people still had the power to grow their own, I'd be for it. It'd lessen the risk from the grower, drive prices down even more, and law enforcement could focus on crime related to drugs like meth/heroin/PCP etc..

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dusty

How many Conservative hippies do you know?

I am :munchin but I'll admit I am a minority.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dusty (Post 536883)

Release the guys in jail for pot, legalize it and tax the crap out of it, because they're gonna get it, anyway.

Not a drug user here but agree somewhat.

We spend billions on the war on drugs but intercept only a small percentage of what makes it through our borders. Millions could be saved by releasing misdemeanor and minor felony offenders from jails and prisons. Mostly, put a heavy tax on consumption and watch the coffers fill.

The idea of decriminalizing drug use is not new and on a small scale, the effects can be observed in Portugal: LINK.....LINK....LINK

While we don't need to necessarily treat it as a medical issue and provide treatment, there is no real evidence that it will become a long term drug use frenzy. After the initial spike in use after the prohibition ends, usage trends will return to about where there are.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brush Okie (Post 536926)

Yip. Pot heads are going to be pot heads if it is legal or not. The repercussions for a user in most of the country is so small now it is not worth the court cost. The money saved on enforcement alone would save billions every year.

Police agency's get a lot of funding for Marijuana interdiction. They don't want that money to go away. Prison unions are against legalization because the more people they lock in cages, the more funding they get. Especially private prisons.
I heard Fox News ranting about how kids are going to start smoking. Seems it will be harder for kids to get their hands on it. Like beer people aren't to comfortable buying it for kids. Chances are if the kid gets caught he will be pressured into telling where he got it.

State and federal governments have made pariahs out of cigarette smokers yet many of them want to legalize pot usage. Is one bad habit better than the other one? Smoking pot is somehow noble? FWIW I am an ex Marlboro man, quit 3 years ago. My worthless used up brothers started out as potheads, we are all paying for their indiscretions.

Here's an idea: Instead of saying that we shouldn't legalize it because doing so makes drug cartels more violent, how about we just wipe out the friggin' cartels once and for all, yeah?

In 5 years "We the People" will be buying their pot for them. Watch.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brush Okie (Post 536977)

Contrary to popular belief prisons are not funded per inmate, but instead they have a limited budget. Also people no longer go to prison for having a couple of oz of pot. A small MINORITY of people CONVICTED of a felony even go to prison. In the state of Oregon 25% of convicted felons actually go to state prison. Legalizing pot and letting out the "users" would not cost one corrections officer their job. I keep hearing people talk about how users are sent to prison just because they are a pot head, it is 100% bullshit. They lie. What does MOST of the time is some violent as hell gang banger plea bargains to lesser charges. The courts are so backed up they cut deals on charges most of the time because the courts do not have the time or money to take everyone to trial. Both sides look at it as a win win. The DA gets a conviction on their check box and the defense atty gets a lot less time for the defendant. In the mean time the prisons are overflowing and scum bags are getting out in a few years when they never should and victimizing more people.

The private prisons are directly funded by how many people they lock up. Their contracts with the state and feds are based on how many people they can hold.
The state/federal prisons budget are based on exactly the work load they are taking on. A prison with 3000 inmates doesn't have same budget as a prison with 300. They are starting to decriminalize it in most places. But I believe an oz will still get you locked away. The biggest losers are the police. I was a Fed. There are millions in grants and federal funding that police agency's are given to fight Marijuana. Like the pot sniffer below:D

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brush Okie (Post 537015)

LMAO. That is funny. Is that real or BS piece of gear? You can smell a large grow from a long way away just with you nose.

Private prisons are a real bad idea IMHO for many reasons. While I believe the govt should stay out of many areas IMHO running a prison is something the govt should be doing. Idaho has some issues with their system because of it.

And all those young kids thrown in jail(juvenile detention) because of that judge/private prison kickback problem.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brush Okie (Post 537015)

It's real. They can stand outside your house, smell pot, kick your door in, or knock. Then arrest you. Shits ridiculous.
But that's the type of things money is spent on fighting pot users. Like the million dollar aircraft they fly around looking for people growing a weed in their back yard.
It reminds me of the $200,000 tricked out police SUV sitting on the side of the road catching motorist on their way to work. Almost like they are to scared to go after the real bad guys.