Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy
Maine and Maryland became the latest states to see marijuana legalization bills filed this year, with lawmakers in those two states rolling out measures this week. They join Hawaii (already killed), Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, with Pennsylvania and Vermont expected to add to the list shortly.
The bill would remove criminal penalties for possession and cultivation of small amounts of marijuana, direct a state agency to license and regulate marijuana commerce, including industrial hemp, create a $50 an ounce excise tax on wholesale sales, and allow localities to not allow marijuana commerce.
"When it comes to keeping marijuana away from teens, keeping marijuana in an unregulated underground market is the worst possible policy," Rep. Russell said. "Instead, marijuana should be sold by legitimate, taxpaying businesses in a tightly regulated market."
"Marijuana is objectively far less harmful than alcohol for the consumer and for the broader community," said David Boyer, Maine political director for the Marijuana Policy Project. "It is irrational to punish adults who simply prefer to use the less harmful substance. Law enforcement resources should be focused on preventing and responding to serious crimes rather than enforcing the failed policy of marijuana prohibition," Boyer said. "It's time for a more sensible approach."
It won't be easy. Under Maine law, if the bill passes, a constitutional referendum on it would go before the voters in November. If the voters approve it then, it goes back to the legislature next session to work out final details.
In Maryland, Del. Curt Anderson (D-Baltimore) Thursday introduced House Bill 1453, which would legalize the possession of up to an ounce and three plants for adults 21 and over. It would also create a system of regulation and taxation for marijuana commerce and impose a $50 an ounce excise tax on wholesale marijuana transactions.
Colorado and Washington voted to legalize marijuana in the November elections, and Alaska allows the possession of small amounts in one's home. The race is now on to be the next state to hop on the marijuana legalization bandwagon.
Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.
Comments
North East Cannabis
Folk`s up on the North East Coast need to grow autoflower plants indoors or in the back yard . Any state law that allows you to buy Cannabis at a store but not be able to grow it at home , is destined for failure . Why grow Tomatoes at home yourself when you can just buy them from me ?
Our problem here in Maryland
In reply to Our problem here in Maryland by Drug Tested Dude (not verified)
O'Malley Hiding
The Last Daze of Prohibition
By the time we have seen what legalization looks like after twelve months it will be hard to argue for prohibition any longer. The drug war will very on very shaky ground by the time another election comes around.
"Under Maine law, if the bill
"Under Maine law, if the bill passes, it must then go before the voters in November. If the voters approve it then, it goes back to the legislature next session. If the legislature then approves it a second time, it would then go back before the voters a second time on the November 2014 ballot."
Is that the procedure for every new law in Maine - it needs to be passed by the legislature, then put to a popular vote, then passed by the legislature again, then put to the popular vote again? That seems incredibly cumbersome and unnecessary.
Another problem in Maryland
Another problem in Maryland
In reply to Another problem in Maryland by Drug Tested Dude (not verified)
That stuff is a big part of an emerging problem from China
And legalizing and regulating sales of mj would serve to completely eliminate this substance gaining a foothold, or further occupying the time of our lawmakers (and thereby sapping tax dollars) as can so easily happen in the current legal status as dealers may be prone to infusing synthetic substances into ditch weed. To the uninitiated, this stuff does "seem" to feel like good old mj, but it is essentially different and does not have the same bidirectional safety net that pure cannabis does. I've smoked it before and there is a difference, however subtle, in how it affects you neurologically. If anyone asks I'd say don't do it unless you like russian roulette. I never landed in the er but I can see where someone could.
Fake weed is yet another problem with prohibition
The Chinese chemists at the source of this stupifying substance will always find new chemical combinations to stay a step ahead of new laws being spit out. This will only serve to waste tax dollars as lawmakers will be tied up racing against the next molecule rather than addressing real concerns that we face as a country.
Another thing that legalization would achieve is to ensure smokers that they are smoking what they expect to be smoking, and not just some ditch schwag that's been marinated in that shit. That other stuff is cheap and apparently not hard to make, but it's not cannabis and therefore not safe. There is so much we don't know about that crap, and
Legalizing and regulating would ensure that shit like this stays out of the picture. I tried that stuff before and while I never landed in the er I can see where you might if you smoked too much of the wrong stuff at the wrong time. don't like it, it's categorically NOT WEED.
Add new comment