Marijuana decriminalization bill gaining support in Congress

[BanginJimmy]

- Currently, 1 out of every 100 Americans is behind bars, and many of these prisoners are non-violent drug offenders...

No such thing as a non-violent drug offender. Marijuana isnt enarly as bad as harder drugs, but it does lead to crimes.

- Arresting, prosecuting, and incarcerating people simply for possessing marijuana for personal use is an illogical waste of our government's limited resources...

If you are possessing it in quantities that fall under personal use the govt doesnt spend much on your prosecution. Many times it is simply a fine and maybe a short probation.

- Each year, more than 700,000 people are arrested for marijuana offenses, costing American taxpayers more than $7 billion annually. Despite this, marijuana is still easily available, both to adults and minors...

Crack is readily available too. Should that be legal also?

- The money saved from ending marijuana prohibition could provide health insurance each year to 4.5 million uninsured children in the U.S. This legislation would be an important first step towards that...

Pointless arguement as the money would then be spent to crack down on smugglers and illegal dealers who would sell it tax free.

[The12lber]

No such thing as a non-violent drug offender. Marijuana isnt enarly as bad as harder drugs, but it does lead to crimes.

The reason illegal drugs lead to violence is because they necessarily have to be bought and sold on a black market - you know, because they're illegal. Remember prohibition much? It happened to coincide with the most visible growth in organized crime in U.S. history. All of those gangs were making money selling illegal booze. No parrallels there, right?

Make them legal and there's no problem.

as a side note. roflskateslolzers@ "No such thing as a non-violent drug offender". I don't know how much Rush Limbaugh you've been listening to, but everyime I've ever smoked pot we just sat in the basement and laughed our asses off. VERY VIOLENT INDEED.

[Total_Blender]

No such thing as a non-violent drug offender. Marijuana isnt enarly as bad as harder drugs, but it does lead to crimes.

- Most crimes related to marijuana are related to the sale and posession of marijuana. If its is brought into the open the relatively minor amount of criminal activity behind it will diminish.

If you are possessing it in quantities that fall under personal use the govt doesnt spend much on your prosecution. Many times it is simply a fine and maybe a short probation.

If every marijuana crime didn't have to be prosecuted it would be considerably less expense to the local authorities. Imagine how short court sessions would be in there weren't posession cases on the dockets.

Crack is readily available too. Should that be legal also?

Booze is legal and readily available, and so is tobacco, gambling and guns. All of which do equal or more damage to society than marijuana. People should be allowed to do what they want to an extent. Crack, meth, etc obviously cross that line.

Pointless arguement as the money would then be spent to crack down on smugglers and illegal dealers who would sell it tax free.

Isn't the government blowing tons of unnecessary money chasing smugglers and dealers already? Allowing the legal distribution of small ammounts of marijuana through licensed regulated and taxed providers would generate tax revenue, and isn't that a good thing?

[DieselNuts]

No such thing as a non-violent drug offender. Marijuana isnt enarly as bad as harder drugs, but it does lead to crimes.

wow...Are you serious? I know plenty of people that have been busted for pot when they werent doing a damn thing but minding their own business.

If you are possessing it in quantities that fall under personal use the govt doesnt spend much on your prosecution. Many times it is simply a fine and maybe a short probation.

you are partially right here, but you get a year probation + jail time. Someone needs to find the stats for the amount of people that are in for 100grams or less and then you tell me that the govt. isnt spending much money on them.

Crack is readily available too. Should that be legal also?

This is just ignorant. You can, in no way, compair crack to pot. If you do, then you need to do some more research on the matter.

Pointless arguement as the money would then be spent to crack down on smugglers and illegal dealers who would sell it tax free.

The point is, the money doesnt have to be spent the way you claim it would be.

[tony]

The reason illegal drugs lead to violence is because they necessarily have to be bought and sold on a black market - you know, because they're illegal. Remember prohibition much?

Make them legal and there's no problem.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to The12lber again.

Exactly what came to mind when I read the response.

If you are possessing it in quantities that fall under personal use the govt doesnt spend much on your prosecution. Many times it is simply a fine and maybe a short probation.

You really think the war on Drugs will be just as expensive with Marijuana possession excluded? Seriously, lets use common sense here. Locking up for possession is a waste of police power and resources.. how about pursuing maybe, sex offenders?

Lets just put it this way, I just spent two weeks in a state (yes a state) where marijuana possession is legal in less amounts than proposed here. Drug useage actually DROPS after a year or two of legalization and trust me there is no chaos on the streets.. it was pretty laid back actually

[jfman]

No such thing as a non-violent drug offender. Marijuana isnt enarly as bad as harder drugs, but it does lead to crimes.

.

Yeah crimes against a box of twinkies maybe.