Industrial Hemp Poll

[Turkey Trot]

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Industrial hemp is outlawed in deference to law enforcement agencies that say it would be too hard to distinguish and catch MJ growers, particularly when they intersperse MJ with hemp stands.

I believe it could be made to work fairly well with licensing and taxing; there are bigger obstacles to MJ control than hemp production, like the State of CA passing a law on medical MJ that contravenes federal law and with a wink and nod letting anyone get a card to buy it.

[lightsoutcalls]

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  It would need to be regulated strictly to keep dishonest persons from mixing in "non-industrial" strains of the plant to sell for "recreational" use.  I recently read where a gentleman on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota developed a way to use industrial hemp in the making of concrete blocks.  This would have offered increased employment on the reservation, increased affordable/durable construction materials to improve living conditions for many and a decent living for the guy that developed it.  Concerns were raised about the possibility of people using it for "recreational" purposes and laws were passed there to make it illegal.  In this case, you have to realize that alcoholism rates are EXTREMELY high on the reservation.  They wanted to avoid all possibility of increased drug related impairment.
   Just my personal opinion, I don't buy the argument of legalizing and taxing "recreational" marijuana.  I work for a company that provides mental health services.  Many times I have read in charts about a person being quite "normal" prior to regular and long-term canabis use.  There is a link to extended canabis use and schizophrenia.  There are numerous other health risks to include increased risk of heart attack and significant lung related issues.  Bottom line, THc (potent chemical in canabis) alters brain functioning and is addictive.  More info. at the link below:

http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/marijuana.html 

[Kylongspur88]

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No wrong answers here, great to see some opinions. When i get a chance i will post up some info i found in my research.

[Turkey Trot]

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 Just my personal opinion, I don't buy the argument of legalizing and taxing "recreational" marijuana.  I work for a company that provides mental health services.  Many times I have read in charts about a person being quite "normal" prior to regular and long-term canabis use.  There is a link to extended canabis use and schizophrenia.  There are numerous other health risks to include increased risk of heart attack and significant lung related issues.  Bottom line, THc (potent chemical in canabis) alters brain functioning and is addictive.  More info. at the link below:

http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/marijuana.html 

I agree with you, we'd just be trading one set of problems for another one.  Given the attitude of a lot in this country of providing entitlements, we'd be on the hook for a lot of expense.  MJ can be grown illegally and discreetly in a way to avoid taxation, and I don't think that we could ever tax it enough to internalize the externalities.  I doubt that we've succeeded in doing that with alcohol, even as heavily taxed as it is.

[Spurs]

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I have always been on the side of the dope heads....Legalize it.  I am also one of those people that would like to see "weed", "Mary Jane", "dope" (whatever you want to call it). 

My reasons:
There are no known physical damage that can come from it....or none that are any worse than drinking alcohol or using tobacco.

It will create much needed jobs.

It will be one more thing that could be taxed to lower the national deficit.


I know that some people don't agree with me, but that is because they live in a box where they can't see the world changing around them.  I personally don't use any illegal drugs....not to say that I haven't ever, but I chose not to anymore because I didn't like the feeling.  Also, I didn't like the idea that I could go to prison for doing it. 

Another thing is that I have never seen a mad dope head.  Yea, they kinda live in a world of their own, but how many times have you heard the story, "A drunk man kills....."   Now, how many times have you heard "Dope head kills....."  All a dope head wants to do is sit around and laugh....never have I seen a pot head get mad, want to fight, or go nuts and beat his wife.

Just my .02, but some people really need to think about all the benifits that could come from it.

[lightsoutcalls]

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Click on the link above in my post for some insight about the scientific studies about the physical effects of marijuana. 

    Although I don't live in a box, I do have significantly different opinions about the results of legalizing marijuana.  As previously stated, I work for a company that provides mental health services.  Some of the clients we serve have a history of marijuana usage and had no signs of mental illness prior to that usage. 
    We all recognize the current state of the economy, but some don't seem to see past the thought of a revenue stream from taxing marijuana.  You state "All a dope head wants to do is sit around and laugh".  From my observations of this type of people, I would agree with you in large part.  A problem I have with that is the fact that while they sit around and laugh, they are likely ignoring other responsibilities... like ... who's watching the kids?... did you pay the electric bill? ... have we got money for groceries? ... did you change the flat on the car so I can get to work?  It is a proven fact that THc, the active ingredient in marijuana is addictive.  It stands to reason that persons growing marijuana would do so to make a profit (even if it were legalized).  That being the case, seldom could one expect to get said marijuana for free.  That would mean an individual would have to provide either money or goods/services to acquire their marijuana.  Many are already struggling from paycheck to paycheck to pay their bills and put food on the table.  What will these people cut out of their already limited budgets to be able to spend the day sitting around laughing?  Food?  Gas in the car to go to work?  Medicine for the kids?  Electricity? 
    I suspect that those who would want to legalize and tax marijuana have not thought the whole situation through to this extent.  Although the user may not become violent or openly destructive, their desire for another high and the apathy resulting from its usage would likely destroy families and relationships and increase irresponsibility.
   My intent is not to point fingers or condemn individuals, but it seems the line of reasoning behind legalizing "vices" would further contribute to the degradation of society and families.  I use the word "vice" not to offend, but as this is the best generic word that comes to mind that covers a variety of products/issues that have the "potential" of harm. 

[mmclain]

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the MJ of today isn't that of the 60's it is very high in THC content and does cause phsychological problems ..especially in youths ......


I promise you it does............been there and seen it happen........Movies show the drug as being harmless........B.S.....in real life the pineapple express is not funny.......



Industrial hemp needs to be produced in the US........You can't get high from it....

[Spurs]

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I am just saying that there are less side effects smoking pot than there are getting drunk or chewing tobacco.  Never did I say that there were 0 side effects.  Sure, it isn't good for you, but that doesn't constitute making it illegal. I feel that it is everyone's own choice.

[lightsoutcalls]

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Again, I'm not trying to point fingers, just sharing how I see the "everyone's right" argument about "vices" as I previously mentioned.

As stated in the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Now, when one person makes choices that begin to infringe on the rights of another and impair their rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, that is where "rights" need to be evaluated.  For instance, the average blue collar joe decides he wants to buy some weed... he enjoys the kick he gets... sitting around laughing, so he decides he wants to buy some more.  His wife doesn't like the idea and also wonders where the $50 that was in the bank went that she was going to pay the gas bill with. It's getting colder outside and little johnny has a runny nose and sniffles.  Blue collar joe is beginning to feel the cravings of the THc, so he goes and spends another $50 out of his paycheck to be able to buy a few joints to burn on the weekend.  The bills are beginning to pile up... the gas company has sent a shut-off notice, it's getting colder outside, the kid's cold is getting worse, the wife is griping because there isn't enough money to pay the bills... is it still his right to go buy marijuana? 

   I know this is a fictitious account, but not at all far-fetched.  What you identify as a happy high, others see as unproductiveness and irresponsibility.  The right to sit around the house giggling is costing others. 

   I definitely agree that alcohol and tobacco do their share of harm.  The reason the statistics are higher regarding alcohol and tobacco related to illness and death may have to do with the simple fact that they are legal and readily available.  I suspect that if marijuana were made legal, the stats would also go up for it.  I also wonder if those in favor of legalizing marijuana have thought about the fact that doing so would require regulation.  Would they put the legal age of use at 18? 21?  With regulations comes enforcement.  Developing all of these new regulations and tracking enforcement would eat up a good bit of money that the proposed taxes would generate.  That said, it likely wouldn't be nearly as profitable as many proponents would like for us to believe.  I just don't buy into the idea of legalizing "vices" for the sake of increasing revenue.  I believe the more effective way of increasing revenue is by decreasing spending and cutting out "pork" of "fluff" in the budget. 

[Spurs]

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Well put argument, but I look at that situation differently. 

The taxes that would be put on these "vices" would be put into managing the distribution of it.  There for, stores would need extra help to stock shelves, law enforcement jobs would increase, and distributers would be created using government money to get start ups...all of which could be created by these revenues. 

I do agree with the idea that the government needs to control spending, but it also needs to take a step forward in creating jobs and raising revenue....which this would do. 

I have several people that work for me that I am almost certain that they use illegal substances.  Some of which work 3 times as hard as the bible thumpers.  This may be because they want to hit the corner drug store before going home and eating pop tarts and playing playstation, but the fact is that they work for their money and should have the right to use it how they want. 

[flydowntn]

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Everyone says all this about weed. But beer, whiskey, nicotine are addicting also but are legal. So that being said I have never understood why weed is not legal. How many families have been broken up due to alcohol and death related from drinking it.  So my ? is WHY is alcohol still legal when there is numerous deaths and families being broken up. The govt regulates alcohol why cant it do weed?

Shane