Sweet Mary Jane

[CLEVELandMILIDH]

Teams see marijuana "epidemic" among incoming rookies

Posted by Mike Florio on March 24, 2010 11:52 AM ET

The pool of players who'll enter the NFL through the 2010 draft is regarded as one of the best and deepest in years. But plenty of them also have a weakness for a girl named . . . Marijuana.

 

Don Banks of SI.com reports that, according to one personnel exec, 10 or 11 players with first-round grades have been red-flagged for enjoying the fumes of a certain type of burning green leaf.

 

And one head coach estimated that one third of the players on his team's draft board has "some sort of history" with marijuana.

 

Frankly, we're surprised the number is so low.

 

The issue would better be described as an epidemic of guys getting caught. Many football players smoke marijuana. Team sources have told us in the past that the situation becomes a problem only when a player's taste for the wacky weed makes him unavailable to play, due to a suspension.

 

That said, it's unclear whether any players tested positive for marijuana at the Scouting Combine. Last year, a slew of reports emerged regarding positive drug tests at the Scouting Combine for marijuana and other drugs; many of the reports were incorrect. Before the every draft, the teams have access to the full list of players who indeed tested positive -- and the message that comes from a positive result in a test that a player knew he'd be taking is that he either has a drug problem, or he's incredibly stupid.

 

Or both.

 

[shoot]

As long as it doesn't affect their ability to play, who cares? (Hint: it doesn't)

[ClevelandFanForLife]

20 bucks says that 6 out of the ten players are from the sec.

[ClevelandFanForLife]

As long as it doesn't affect their ability to play, who cares? (Hint: it doesn't)

the reason why i have always been against pot, is because of the douchiness of the people that smoke it. most of these guys are punks and never work (i'm talking about america as a whole, not just football). if someone is telling me that they want to pay me a million dollars and i have to do is not smoke something, then i would never be within 100 feet of it.

[MudratDetector]

the reason why i have always been against pot, is because of the douchiness of the people that smoke it. most of these guys are punks and never work (i'm talking about america as a whole, not just football). if someone is telling me that they want to pay me a million dollars and i have to do is not smoke something, then i would never be within 100 feet of it.

 

who do you know that partakes? it sounds like the exact opposite of my experiences with it. if you are basing your opinions based on pro-athletes, i would find a new foundation upon which to form such an opinion.

 

 

[Speedyd900rr]

the reason why i have always been against pot, is because of the douchiness of the people that smoke it. most of these guys are punks and never work (i'm talking about america as a whole, not just football). if someone is telling me that they want to pay me a million dollars and i have to do is not smoke something, then i would never be within 100 feet of it.

 

Are you sure it's the pot making them not want to work and not the government giving free housing, food, money, and now free cell phones to those who choose not to do anything with their lives?

[ballpeen]

20 bucks says that 6 out of the ten players are from the sec.

 

 

Since SEC players make up 60% of the NFL, you could be right.

 

[CLEVELandMILIDH]

[miktoxic]

the reason why i have always been against pot, is because of the douchiness of the people that smoke it. most of these guys are punks and never work (i'm talking about america as a whole, not just football). if someone is telling me that they want to pay me a million dollars and i have to do is not smoke something, then i would never be within 100 feet of it.

 

you are kidding, right? douchiness? yikes. what are you a dentist? listen if these guys are just chillin and blowin a couple of bones, what's the big deal? you've never heard of a guy smoking too much weed and causing an accident. no. that's usually left up to the drunks like you and me.

[ClevelandFanForLife]

i should have specified. the people that i know that smoke tons of weed are all douches. they are lazy morons who can't spell their names. i should have specified. i have even have students that are like that and they drive me crazy. nothing motivates them and even if you try to give them the answers on tests, they don't care.

[MudratDetector]

it motivates me.....to play more xbox.

[CLEVELandMILIDH]

it motivates me.....to play more xbox.

 

LOL he must be talking about you

 

Weed dont make people lazy, Lazy people just smoke weed

[ClevelandFanForLife]

it motivates me.....to play more xbox.

haha. that's another reason why i hate dope smokers. they're ruin xbox live. they're the biggest trash talkers and jerks.

[MudratDetector]

haha. that's another reason why i hate dope smokers. they're ruin xbox live. they're the biggest trash talkers and jerks.

 

i'm glad to see that my efforts aren't in vain

[miktoxic]

i should have specified. the people that i know that smoke tons of weed are all douches. they are lazy morons who can't spell their names. i should have specified. i have even have students that are like that and they drive me crazy. nothing motivates them and even if you try to give them the answers on tests, they don't care.

 

man that was the only thing that motivated me to go to school. that's where i met all my friends and copped weed. today there is a different generation of kids that don't do shit because their parents let them get away with everything and do nothing about it.

[sisky fringo]

the reason why i have always been against pot, is because of the douchiness of the people that smoke it. most of these guys are punks and never work (i'm talking about america as a whole, not just football).

please don't let a couple bad apples spoil the bunch.

case in point: there's probably a hundred dispensaries in Denver while Colorado boasts that over 80% of the state's population has at least their Bachelors.

 

i'm sure you're familiar with the obsessive skier/snowboarders, hikers, climbers, kayakers, mountain bikers and general fitness fanatics that live here as well. they are certainly not lazy--in fact i wouldn't be surprised if they were in the top 10% in the US for general fitness and most active. and guess what nearly all of them i've met smoke pot. in addition, if you polled the people working in the dispensaries you'd find that the majority are also working professionals, and many who simply don't like to drink.

 

it's become so prevalent they don't even smoke it much anymore and generally use vaporizers if they do. tinctures and edibles are taking over because with this demographic it's a planned venture and the instant effects of smoking aren't a priority to them.

 

check out weedmaps.com poke in 80203 for the zip and zoom the map out a couple clicks. unless your demographic consists of people mostly over the age of 40 who haven't worked for years i'd say it's not a fair representation of marijuana users today.

[DieHardBrownsFan]

As long as it doesn't affect their ability to play, who cares? (Hint: it doesn't)

 

BS.

[mopaji]

So, the fact that college kids smoke pot is news now? Next they'll be trying to tell us these kids drink booze and have questionable judgement when it comes to girls. I'm not buying it.

 

When a story breaks about college kids waking up before their alarms' go off, then I'll listen.

 

 

 

PS. I hate the pot but I know some people that do it and one is a VP of a company that is worth 5,000,000 today. Another is 28 and owns 2 houses and is constantly getting degree after degree. It's not the pot that's bad, it's the user.

 

I also know some pot-heads who make plans to go do something and then when the time arrives they say "I'm not really feeling like it anymore. I have to work in two days and I need my rest. Hey! Have you ever seen Triumph the Insult Dog? Hilarious!"

 

Those are the types I can't stand.

[Spunkonmyback DPOY]

Myths About Marijuana

 

No solid evidence exists that supports most claims about weed. (by soild I mean consistant evidence without much evidence that oppposes it)

[DieHardBrownsFan]

Exposing the Myth of Smoked Medical Marijuana

Marijuana: The Facts

 

Q: Does marijuana pose health risks to users?

 

Marijuana is an addictive drug1 with significant health consequences to its users and others. Many harmful short-term and long-term problems have been documented with its use:

 

 

The short term effects of marijuana use include: memory loss, distorted perception, trouble with thinking and problem solving, loss of motor skills, decrease in muscle strength, increased heart rate, and anxiety2.

 

 

In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of emergency room mentions of marijuana use. From 1993-2000, the number of emergency room marijuana mentions more than tripled.

 

 

There are also many long-term health consequences of marijuana use. According to the National Institutes of Health, studies show that someone who smokes five joints per week may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes a full pack of cigarettes every day.

 

 

Marijuana contains more than 400 chemicals, including most of the harmful substances found in tobacco smoke. Smoking one marijuana cigarette deposits about four times more tar into the lungs than a filtered tobacco cigarette.

 

 

Harvard University researchers report that the risk of a heart attack is five times higher than usual in the hour after smoking marijuana.3

 

 

Smoking marijuana also weakens the immune system4 and raises the risk of lung infections.5 A Columbia University study found that a control group smoking a single marijuana cigarette every other day for a year had a white-blood-cell count that was 39 percent lower than normal, thus damaging the immune system and making the user far more susceptible to infection and sickness.6

 

 

Users can become dependent on marijuana to the point they must seek treatment to stop abusing it. In 1999, more than 200,000 Americans entered substance abuse treatment primarily for marijuana abuse and dependence.

 

 

More teens are in treatment for marijuana use than for any other drug or for alcohol. Adolescent admissions to substance abuse facilities for marijuana grew from 43 percent of all adolescent admissions in 1994 to 60 percent in 1999.

 

 

Marijuana is much stronger now than it was decades ago. According to data from the Potency Monitoring Project at the University of Mississippi, the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of commercial-grade marijuana rose from an average of 3.71 percent in 1985 to an average of 5.57 percent in 1998. The average THC content of U.S. produced sinsemilla increased from 3.2 percent in 1977 to 12.8 percent in 1997.7

Q. Does marijuana have any medical value?

 

Any determination of a drug's valid medical use must be based on the best available science undertaken by medical professionals. The Institute of Medicine conducted a comprehensive study in 1999 to assess the potential health benefits of marijuana and its constituent cannabinoids. The study concluded that smoking marijuana is not recommended for the treatment of any disease condition. In addition, there are more effective medications currently available. For those reasons, the Institute of Medicine concluded that there is little future in smoked marijuana as a medically approved medication.8

 

 

Advocates have promoted the use of marijuana to treat medical conditions such as glaucoma. However, this is a good example of more effective medicines already available. According to the Institute of Medicine, there are six classes of drugs and multiple surgical techniques that are available to treat glaucoma that effectively slow the progression of this disease by reducing high intraocular pressure.

 

 

In other studies, smoked marijuana has been shown to cause a variety of health problems, including cancer, respiratory problems, increased heart rate, loss of motor skills, and increased heart rate. Furthermore, marijuana can affect the immune system by impairing the ability of T-cells to fight off infections, demonstrating that marijuana can do more harm than good in people with already compromised immune systems.9

 

 

In addition, in a recent study by the Mayo Clinic, THC was shown to be less effective than standard treatments in helping cancer patients regain lost appetites.10

 

 

The DEA supports research into the safety and efficacy of THC (the major psychoactive component of marijuana), and such studies are ongoing, supported by grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

 

 

As a result of such research, a synthetic THC drug, Marinol, has been available to the public since 1985. The Food and Drug Administration has determined that Marinol is safe, effective, and has therapeutic benefits for use as a treatment for nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy, and as a treatment of weight loss in patients with AIDS. However, it does not produce the harmful health effects associated with smoking marijuana.

 

 

Furthermore, the DEA recently approved the University of California San Diego to undertake rigorous scientific studies to assess the safety and efficacy of cannabis compounds for treating certain debilitating medical conditions.

 

 

It's also important to realize that the campaign to allow marijuana to be used as medicine is a tactical maneuver in an overall strategy to completely legalize all drugs. Pro-legalization groups have transformed the debate from decriminalizing drug use to one of compassion and care for people with serious diseases. The New York Times interviewed Ethan Nadelman, Director of the Lindesmith Center, in January 2000. Responding to criticism from former Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey that the medical marijuana issue is a stalking-horse for drug legalization, Mr. Nadelman did not contradict General McCaffrey. "Will it help lead toward marijuana legaization?" Mr. Nadelman said: "I hope so."

Q. Does marijuana harm anyone besides the individual who smokes it?

 

Consider the public safety of others when confronted with intoxicated drug users:

 

 

Marijuana affects many skills required for safe driving: alertness, the ability to concentrate, coordination, and reaction time. These effects can last up to 24 hours after smoking marijuana. Marijuana use can make it difficult to judge distances and react to signals and signs on the road.11

 

 

In a 1990 report, the National Transportation Safety Board studied 182 fatal truck accidents. It found that just as many of the accidents were caused by drivers using marijuana as were caused by alcohol -- 12.5 percent in each case.

 

 

Consider also that drug use, including marijuana, contributes to crime. A large percentage of those arrested for crimes test positive for marijuana. Nationwide, 40 percent of adult males tested positive for marijuana at the time of their arrest.

Q. Is marijuana a gateway drug?

 

Yes. Among marijuana's most harmful consequences is its role in leading to the use of other illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine. Long-term studies of students who use drugs show that very few young people use other illegal drugs without first trying marijuana. While not all people who use marijuana go on to use other drugs, using marijuana sometimes lowers inhibitions about drug use and exposes users to a culture that encourages use of other drugs.

 

 

The risk of using cocaine has been estimated to be more than 104 times greater for those who have tried marijuana than for those who have never tried it.12

In Summary:

 

Marijuana is a dangerous, addictive drug that poses significant health threats to users.

 

 

Marijuana has no medical value that can't be met more effectively by legal drugs.

 

 

Marijuana users are far more likely to use other drugs like cocaine and heroin than non-marijuana users.

 

 

Drug legalizers use "medical marijuana" as red herring in effort to advocate broader legalization of drug use.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

1Herbert Kleber, Mitchell Rosenthal, "Drug Myths from Abroad: Leniency is Dangerous, not Compassionate" Foreign Affairs Magazine, September/October 1998. Drug Watch International "NIDA Director cites Studies that Marijuana is Addictive." "Research Finds Marijuana is Addictive," Washington Times, July 24, 1995.

2National Institue of Drug Abuse, Journal of the American Medical Association, Journal of Clinical Phamacology, International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Pharmacology Review.

3"Marijuana and Heart Attacks" Washington Post, March 3, 2000

4I. B. Adams and BR Martin, "Cannabis: Pharmacology and Toxicology in Animals and Humans" Addiction 91: 1585-1614. 1996.

5National Institute of Drug Abuse, "Smoking Any Substance Raises Risk of Lung Infections" NIDA Notes, Volume 12, Number 1, January/February 1997.

6Dr. James Dobson, "Marijuana Can Cause Great Harm" Washington Times, February 23, 1999.

72000 National Drug Control Strategy Annual Report, page 13.

8"Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base," Institute of Medicine, 1999.

9See footnotes in response to question 4 regarding marijuana's short and long term health effects.

10"Marijuana Appetite Boost Lacking in Cancer Study" The New York Times, May 13, 2001.

11Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health.

12Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health.

 

[sisky fringo]

some skewed testimony imo. first off conclusive tests have never been conducted or maintained over long periods of time--these studies generally just take people at their word without any real supporting data.

 

maybe these guys were Tommy Chongs, or maybe there were other factors that attributed to the side affects like memory loss etc. the side effects on some OTC medications can sound pretty nuts too when read on paper in vague generalizations. people form their own perceptions when they read loose wording like in the above description.

 

highly addictive? maybe to addicts. you've got the gene or you don't. don't blame pot--you can plug in any substance and it will be highly addictive for an addict. this includes coffee, cigarettes, skydiving, cocaine>>>it goes on. for the regular joe? bs.

 

the mentionings of MJ related ER visits could just be due to society's increased tolerance of it--they are just "mentioning" it more now. it didn't say it was involved more or in their system more after testing, just that they "mention" it more now.

 

tell the Mayo Clinic they need to try using pot that gives the munchies if they want a fair comparison, and i guarantee it will win hands down.

 

no medicinal value? it's actually prescribed for asthma but you don't introduce it by smoking it...and it works. insomnia? migraines? where's the studies for those? huge wins if they do.

 

i quit reading after that cuz it sounded like some military industrial complex propoganda on a federal brochure. well, that and it contradicts with my own personal experience.

 

that said, there are ways 1000X better to imbibe MJ than smoking it.

 

stop smoking it and introduce it differently into the system and their entire argument falls to pieces.

 

EDIT: i just finished reading it and it actually got better and left some openings in favor of it. in summary don't smoke it, don't drive, operate equipment or put others in danger while under the influence, use it in moderation, and the inconclusive studies are still ongoing for users who introduce it in other ways besides smoking it. sounds about right to me.

[lambdo]

Wether its good for you is irrelevant (and there is plenty of arguements for and against the benefits of Marijuana)...

 

Should it be on the NFL banned substances list ? Definitely not.

Will the right wing NFL change it? Definitely not

 

So, if you want to be in the NFL you can't smoke...sucks, it's a shitty rule which promotes more alcohol use.

 

It isnt right but too damm bad that's the way it is.

 

 

 

 

[sisky fringo]

Wether its good for you is irrelevant (and there is plenty of arguements for and against the benefits of Marijuana)...

 

Should it be on the NFL banned substances list ? Definitely not.

Will the right wing NFL change it? Definitely not

 

So, if you want to be in the NFL you can't smoke...sucks, it's a shitty rule which promotes more alcohol use.

 

It isn't right but too damn bad that's the way it is.

 

probably promotes more use of pain pills and other chemicals too. some claim it helps reduce inflammation in joints and helps them to relax. that i don't know.

 

the NFL can't look the other way, that would be like condoning it. these guys are role models for kids...it has to be that way for society's sake.

[lambdo]

some claim it helps reduce inflamation in joints and helps them to relax. that i don't know.

 

I can personally attest to that, after ACL reconstruction but before I was truly mobile, a good old fasioned joint worked way better then any pain med's ( including the slow release pain relieving drip they insert into your knee)

 

 

I was actually ahead of my time frame on beginning therapy due to the reduction in swelling.. Now i'm not giving weed all that cred ( elevation and ice and pressure have more do with it) But it certainly did not hinder injury recovery time

 

[CLEVELandMILIDH]

 

California Puts Legalizing Marijuana on BallotUpdated:

Richard C. Paddock

 

 

AOL News SAN FRANCISCO (March 25) -- California voters will decide in November whether to legalize personal use of marijuana and impose a tax that could raise more than $1 billion for financially struggling state and local governments.

 

California Secretary of State Debra Bowen announced Wednesday that an initiative known as the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 has qualified for the ballot. Sponsors of the measure submitted 694,248 signatures, far more than the 433,971 they needed to win a place on the Nov. 2 ballot.

 

The initiative would allow anyone 21 or older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and cultivate plants in an area up to 25 square feet. It also would allow local governments to regulate and tax the cultivation, distribution and sale of marijuana in their jurisdictions.

 

At the same time, the measure would prohibit the possession of marijuana on school grounds; outlaw providing marijuana to anyone under 21; and ban smoking marijuana in public or in front of a minor. It would not overturn the conviction of anyone who violated marijuana laws before the initiative's passage.

 

"It takes the cannabis industry out of the black market, out of the back alleys, and brings it into retail establishments," campaign spokeswoman Dale Sky Clare said. "We can have safer communities by controlling and taxing cannabis."

 

The measure is sponsored by activist Richard Lee, who contributed more than $1 million to the signature-gathering drive. Lee operates a medical marijuana dispensary and other marijuana-related businesses in Oakland. He is the founder and president of Oaksterdam University, which teaches students how to cultivate the plant and operate medical marijuana dispensaries.

 

The university, which is closely connected to the initiative campaign, is growing rapidly and recently moved its main campus into a 30,000-square-foot building in downtown Oakland.

 

California has long been in the forefront of the marijuana legalization movement. In 1996, voters approved Proposition 215, which authorized the use of marijuana for medical purposes and inspired similar measures in other states.

 

Since the proposition's passage, hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries have sprung up around California. They have contributed to economic growth in some communities -- most notably downtown Oakland -- but also have posed regulatory problems in others, particularly the city of Los Angeles.

 

The campaign over the legalization initiative is certain to be hard-fought and costly.

 

No formal campaign opposition has emerged, but opponents can be expected to argue that legalizing marijuana would result in greater consumption, exposure to second-hand smoke, increased automobile and industrial accidents and reduced academic achievement.

 

There may also be some who argue that the initiative does not go far enough because it limits legal use to adults, doesn't free those now in jail for marijuana offenses, and could create a system of patchwork regulation by cities and counties.

 

Nevertheless, after decades of working to legalize marijuana, activists may finally have hit upon the right timing and approach to win over the general public. A Field Poll conducted last year found that 56 percent of Californians supported the idea of legalizing and taxing marijuana.

 

In part, that may be because state and local governments are desperate for cash. The state has been compelled to raise fees repeatedly at public universities, require state workers to take unpaid furloughs and begin releasing inmates from overcrowded prisons.

 

"There are voters across every demographic group who are not necessarily pro-pot, but they understand the present system is not working and are well aware that California could use an extra billion bucks a year," said Dan Newman, a strategist with the campaign. "The combination of the current marijuana laws not working and the disastrous fiscal situation has created a situation where many people see this as a commonplace reform."

 

Supporters of the measure hope to raise as much as $10 million to win passage of the measure, Newman said. The campaign in support of the initiative kicked off the first day by issuing a statement that included backing from retired law enforcement officers and a judge from conservative Orange County.

 

"I've been on the front lines of the drug war for three decades, and I know from experience that the current approach is simply not working," said retired Superior Court Judge James P. Gray. "Controlling marijuana with regulations similar to those currently in place for alcohol will put street drug dealers and organized crime out of business."

 

Marijuana would still be illegal under U.S. law, but supporters of the measure hope that the federal government would abstain from enforcing the law, as it is doing now with medical marijuana sales.

 

Clare, also the executive chancellor of Oaksterdam University, said the initiative would allow cities and counties to adopt a wide range of activities -- or none at all.

 

An agricultural county could authorize large-scale marijuana growing to produce hemp, a durable fiber that can be used in making paper, clothing or rope. "Labor unions see this as an opportunity for tens of thousands of jobs," Clare said.

 

Or a city such as Oakland or Berkeley could issue a permit to a bar or nightclub to serve marijuana rather than alcohol, she said. There also could be the equivalent of "dry counties" where the sale of marijuana is not permitted, although possession would still be allowed.

 

The campaign is drafting a range of model ordinances that local governments could adopt if the initiative is approved by voters, she said.

 

Clare attempted to counter expected opposition from law enforcement by pointing out that local authorities could tax marijuana to help train and equip police departments, among other expenditures.

 

"Right now, the profit margins are going to buy more guns for the Mexican cartels," she said. "That same margin could be paid into what matters most to Californians: education, public health and public safety."

[sisky fringo]

WHAT?!? have the dopers fund the education, public health and public safety??? how novel! do i need to pinch myself?!?

 

No formal campaign opposition has emerged, but opponents can be expected to argue that legalizing marijuana would result in greater consumption, exposure to second-hand smoke, increased automobile and industrial accidents and reduced academic achievement.

this type of propaganda cracks me up.

 

it won't create the industry--the industry is already there. the one's that would try it due to it's reformed legality that wouldn't have tried it otherwise has got to be negligible.

 

there isn't going to be some crazy free-for-all that will take place. it simply begins to regulate a black market that already exists. plain and simple, some people like to feel fukcered up and others don't...and those people would be smoking pot whether this proposal went through or not.

 

soooo many pros besides the enormous revenue stream it brings with it as the #1 cash crop. notably it effectively takes the Mexican cartel's MJ profits and transfers those profits into tangible resources the people can directly utilize.

 

it impacts public safety in a positive way as users don't have to cop weed from potentially shady strangers in the hood. it preserves public resources as cops focus on violence and other more serious offenses rather than wasting time citing otherwise good folks for petty and ridiculous charges, also preserving the court's time and Cali tax dollars.

 

and hemp? oil, bio fuels, sustainable building materials, textiles, and a multitude of other products that haven't even been thought of yet loom on the horizon.

 

seems to me Ron Paul's been saying this for over 30 years. marijuana prohibition CULTIVATES criminal behavior and violence, not the other way around. leave it to crisis to finally get people to open up their minds.

[CLEVELandMILIDH]

Henry Ford use to make cars made out of hemp and ran on hemp oil. Hell the Decleration of Independece was writtin on Hemp paper.

 

 

 

[Zombo]

One more image of Woody Harrelson wearing a hemp hat and this is headed to the dreaded Barber Shop talk.

 

Zombo

--where former football threads go to die...

[sisky fringo]

from 25% to 95% efficiency? WOW. i didn't know that.

not to mention Ford was getting about 23 mpg too...100 years ago.

 

don't you just love federal interference in the free market?

based upon this past week we haven't learned a damn thing either, whether seduced by the possibility of what could be or if we were just fooling ourselves thinking we could have prevented anything anyway. but i digress.

 

the "experts" say if all our light trucks in the US ran on diesel we could be completely free of our foreign oil dependency...and that's just light trucks. no cars, vans, bikes etc.

 

if we simply adapted our auto engines to hemp oil, i wonder how many American lives we could have saved in the Middle East over the past 25+ years...or how many we could still preserve now. and how many trillions of dollars we could have saved in the process.

 

allowance of hemp growth would create an agricultural opportunity that we can actually produce ourselves here domestically, not only adding some jobs but also bolstering our ailing economy in the process.

 

to think that federal law was the only thing preventing all of this from taking place...its almost criminal.

 

government create jobs? not likely. more like get the fuk out of the way so American ingenuity can once again pull our country up by its bootstraps...just like we've always done.

[Spunkonmyback DPOY]

WHAT?!? have the dopers fund the education, public health and public safety??? how novel! do i need to pinch myself?!?

 

 

this type of propaganda cracks me up.

 

it won't create the industry--the industry is already there. the one's that would try it due to it's reformed legality that wouldn't have tried it otherwise has got to be negligible.

 

there isn't going to be some crazy free-for-all that will take place. it simply begins to regulate a black market that already exists. plain and simple, some people like to feel fukcered up and others don't...and those people would be smoking pot whether this proposal went through or not.

 

soooo many pros besides the enormous revenue stream it brings with it as the #1 cash crop. notably it effectively takes the Mexican cartel's MJ profits and transfers those profits into tangible resources the people can directly utilize.

 

it impacts public safety in a positive way as users don't have to cop weed from potentially shady strangers in the hood. it preserves public resources as cops focus on violence and other more serious offenses rather than wasting time citing otherwise good folks for petty and ridiculous charges, also preserving the court's time and Cali tax dollars.

 

and hemp? oil, bio fuels, sustainable building materials, textiles, and a multitude of other products that haven't even been thought of yet loom on the horizon.

 

seems to me Ron Paul's been saying this for over 30 years. marijuana prohibition CULTIVATES criminal behavior and violence, not the other way around. leave it to crisis to finally get people to open up their minds.

If marijuana is legal the government gets the tax money as opposed violent dealers, Mexican gun cartels and other violent street gangs......On second thought, maybe it would be better if marijuana stayed on the black market.