Colorado Legalizes Marijuana For Recreational Use

[Mave]

The Rocky Mountain High just got a whole lot higher. On Tuesday night, Amendment 64 -- the measure seeking the legalization of marijuana for recreational use by adults -- was passed by Colorado voters, making Colorado the first state to end marijuana prohibition in the United States.

With about 36 percent of precincts reporting at the time of publishing, 9News and Fox31 report that Amendment 64 has passed.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a vocal opponent to the measure, reacted to the passage of A64 in a statement late Tuesday night:

The voters have spoken and we have to respect their will. This will be a complicated process, but we intend to follow through. That said, federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug so don’t break out the Cheetos or gold fish too quickly.

The passage of the state measure is without historical precedent and the consequences will likely be closely-watched around the world. In an interview with The Huffington Post, the authors/researchers behind the book "Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs To Know" pointed out that the measure in Colorado is truly groundbreaking, comparing it to the legalization that Amsterdam enjoys:

A common error is to believe that the Netherlands has already legalized cannabis (the preferred term for marijuana in Europe). What has been de facto legalized is only the retail sale of 5 grams (about a sixth of an ounce) or less. Production and wholesale distribution is still illegal, and that prohibition is enforced, which is largely why the price of sinsemilla in the “coffee shops” isn’t much different than the price in American dispensaries.

Although Colorado "legalized it," it will be several months, perhaps as long as a year, before Colorado adults 21-and-over can enjoy the legal sale of marijuana. However, the parts of the amendment related to individual behavior will go into effect as soon as Governor Hickenlooper certifies the results of the vote, a proclamation he is obligated to do within 30 days of the election, The Colorado Independent reported.

It's a huge victory for the Campaign To Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, the pro-pot group behind Amendment 64. "Over the past eight years in Colorado, we have argued that it is irrational to punish adults for choosing to use a product that is far less harmful than alcohol," Mason Tvert, co-director of the campaign, said in a statement. "Today, the voters agreed. Colorado will no longer have laws that steer people toward using alcohol, and adults will be free to use marijuana instead if that is what they prefer. And we will be better off as a society because of it."

This is the second time Colorado voted on legal weed, in 2006 Coloradans voted the measure down, but not in 2012.

Source & More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/06/amendment-64-passes-in-co_n_2079899.html

 

[Stybar]

Yay Colorado!

This is going to be a long post, discussing marijuana, so if you want, skip ahead.

I personally think that weed (I'm going to write weed instead of marijuana, I'm lazy) should be legalized all over. I know there are dangers to weed, as there are dangers to all drugs. However, of all the drugs, weed is one of the least harming substances. Weed kills brain cells, sure, but so does alcohol and yet that is completely legal. Tabacco is more lethal, more addicting, and freely available as soon as you hit the age of consent. Yet those arguments are more in a way of "why we should ban those things" instead of why weed should be legal. My opinion is that although weed is harmfull in a small way, as long as we sell alcohol and tabacco, we should also sell weed. The worst I've ever done in "overdosing" from weed was a sick feeling to my stomach and some vomiting. I've heard stories of people who are addicted and who destroy their lives smoking weed, but to be honest, are those people really normal? Are they the type of person who lives in a mid-class house, has a nice job and a nice family?
Weed doesn't give you a fixed feeling, it simply enhances the feeling that you already have. So when you drink, you get extra drunk, when you are hungry, you get the munchies, and when laughing it seems like you can't stop laughing. Of course, if you feel a little sick, you puke your goddamn guts out, and if you feel sad you get almost depressed.
Based on that, I think we should legalize it at least to adults. We consider adults to be responsible enough to drink alcohol in a way that we don't go over the top, so why can't we trust those people to smoke weed with some degree? Of course, it doesn't work that way in this world, as people we consider responsible only sparsely drink alcohol or would smoke weed. But how to get people that can't handle narcotics to stay off narcotics is a more difficult discussion.

TL;DR: weed is the same as alcohol, either ban them both or legalize them both.

 

[Mauri]

 

[Mave]

Yay Colorado!

This is going to be a long post, discussing marijuana, so if you want, skip ahead.

I personally think that weed (I'm going to write weed instead of marijuana, I'm lazy) should be legalized all over. I know there are dangers to weed, as there are dangers to all drugs. However, of all the drugs, weed is one of the least harming substances. Weed kills brain cells, sure, but so does alcohol and yet that is completely legal. Tabacco is more lethal, more addicting, and freely available as soon as you hit the age of consent. Yet those arguments are more in a way of "why we should ban those things" instead of why weed should be legal. My opinion is that although weed is harmfull in a small way, as long as we sell alcohol and tabacco, we should also sell weed. The worst I've ever done in "overdosing" from weed was a sick feeling to my stomach and some vomiting. I've heard stories of people who are addicted and who destroy their lives smoking weed, but to be honest, are those people really normal? Are they the type of person who lives in a mid-class house, has a nice job and a nice family?
Weed doesn't give you a fixed feeling, it simply enhances the feeling that you already have. So when you drink, you get extra drunk, when you are hungry, you get the munchies, and when laughing it seems like you can't stop laughing. Of course, if you feel a little sick, you puke your goddamn guts out, and if you feel sad you get almost depressed.
Based on that, I think we should legalize it at least to adults. We consider adults to be responsible enough to drink alcohol in a way that we don't go over the top, so why can't we trust those people to smoke weed with some degree? Of course, it doesn't work that way in this world, as people we consider responsible only sparsely drink alcohol or would smoke weed. But how to get people that can't handle narcotics to stay off narcotics is a more difficult discussion.

TL;DR: weed is the same as alcohol, either ban them both or legalize them both.

For a moment there I thought that was GP talking (he has the exact same opinion about it)
Couldn't agree more though.

But even if it will become legal I think it would still be hard to adapt everyone smoking weed everywhere (for the older generations atm)

Also about

TL;DR: weed is the same as alcohol, either ban them both or legalize them both.

Rather that last option