Local officials' initial thoughts on marijuana bill

The bill would send a strong message to the federal government that there is growing consent that their overbearing and unconstitutional prohibition cannot be tolerated anymore, at least in certain states. It is the right of the state of California to set their own drug laws just as it is the right of the state of Utah to set their own alcohol laws.

Just because the law, if passed, still wouldn't be able to allow for the sale and taxation of cannabis doesn't mean that they shouldn't pursue passing a bill now that can take effect when the federal government returns the states' rights.

Better find something new to arrest citizens for now. Try cracking down on meth, and police corruption.

Please tell me why an industry that has worked on the 'dark side' all this time will submit to taxation? The black market is already in place and will just continue even if a bill passes. It only becomes an invitation for low life people to move to California!!!

The black market will be demolished. Why? People can go buy cheaper marijuana in the stores even though it's taxed.

The reason for the current inflation of marijuana is because of the black-market status the substance currently holds.

If Marijuana were legal, it would be about 60-70 dollars an ounce after taxes.

It wouldn't be worth it for the black market to beat those prices, and ending marijuana prohibition by these means would demolish the black market.

The abuse of addictive substances, methamphetamine, alchohol and prescription pain killers like oxycotin are parts of the real drug problem, not medical use of marijuana. An honest evaluation of people arrested in Mendocino would show that marijuana just happened to be their common currency. The sherrif has even been on record saying that if marijuana isn't involved in their investigative enforcement expenses and meth is pursued, the fed's will pull the funding. This is the true "DARK SIDE" of the problem.

More sad truth wrote:

Please tell me why an industry that has worked on the 'dark side' all this time will submit to taxation? The black market is already in place and will just continue even if a bill passes. It only becomes an invitation for low life people to move to California!!!

because the prohibition of cannabis meant that they had to, and the black market inflates the value meaning more money. Legalize and regulate cannabis eliminates the massive profits for the criminals.

When they repealed alcohol prohibition, did the black market still make their massive profits?
and since you can brew your own wine and beer at home, does that mean everyone who drinks produces their own alcohol?

screw all of you dopers, medicinal MJ is OK but the daily use has dumbed down our youth! I work with intelligent productive people all day a couple of them use their last break towards the end of the day to get high. They immediately turn into unfocused, ADD accomplish nothing dolts! Look around Mendo you can see what this drug has done to our community. Go in a McDonalds, Taco Bell or Burger King after 9 on a saturday night and watch the stoners try to order food.....Yeah, I will have uuuuhhhhhhhh....no wait, I wanna....hmmmmmmm.yeah yeah thats it i want two...uuuuhhhhhhh, can i have a free cup of water?

Mendo Local wrote:

screw all of you dopers, medicinal MJ is OK but the daily use has dumbed down our youth! I work with intelligent productive people all day a couple of them use their last break towards the end of the day to get high. They immediately turn into unfocused, ADD accomplish nothing dolts! Look around Mendo you can see what this drug has done to our community. Go in a McDonalds, Taco Bell or Burger King after 9 on a saturday night and watch the stoners try to order food.....Yeah, I will have uuuuhhhhhhhh....no wait, I wanna....hmmmmmmm.yeah yeah thats it i want two...uuuuhhhhhhh, can i have a free cup of water?

Versus what? A drunk coming in to McDonalds and starting a fight, making passes at your girlfriend, and being an all around jerk?

Marijuana should replace alcohol as the nation's mind-altering substance of choice. It would drastically reduce domestic violence as 80-90 percent of all domestic violence cases are caused by alcohol consumption.

"YES WE CAN"

It takes 10 minutes to read

http://digg.com/politics/California_s_AB_390_...

to mendo wrote:

<quoted text>
Versus what? A drunk coming in to McDonalds and starting a fight, making passes at your girlfriend, and being an all around jerk?
Marijuana should replace alcohol as the nation's mind-altering substance of choice. It would drastically reduce domestic violence as 80-90 percent of all domestic violence cases are caused by alcohol consumption.

See you simple minded dopers have no real argument so you deflect to "other" peoples drugs!

Tell me where exactly in my post did I condone alcohol use/abuse? Nowhere, that's where! Is the Alcohol Comparison programmed in your system with a hot key program or something? is it readily available to cut and paste when someone is critical of your precious drug? Do tell, dolt!

You see, I advocate no substance to alter the mind, there is enough in life to get "high" on without altering your mind or costing taxpayers millions in medical reparations that you dopers/drinkers have inflicted upon yourselves!

So, go ahead deflect, it is what little kids and small minded people do!

to mendo wrote:

<quoted text>
Versus what? A drunk coming in to McDonalds and starting a fight, making passes at your girlfriend, and being an all around jerk?
Marijuana should replace alcohol as the nation's mind-altering substance of choice. It would drastically reduce domestic violence as 80-90 percent of all domestic violence cases are caused by alcohol consumption.

besides when I take my girlfriend out, it isn't to McDonalds, idiot!

Are you the guy in the Carls Jr Commercial who takes his woman to Carls Jr for a "steak"?

I think it is a great decision not only will help the economy it will get rid of the black market for it. It will put the money into the governments hands instead of drug dealers that selll and live off the government it will force them to get a real job. Also i think it will become the choice over alcohol therefore bringing down the number of dui wrecks every year. Yes marijuanua alters the mind but not to the effects that alcohol does. I think it will be good for most states if not all should do this. It will keep our country from falling into more of a recession than it already has. People can not feed their families and people are losing there jobs and homes this would pulll the us out some at least and some is better than none. This is my opinion.

Seriously, do you really think this pipe dream will work? What this will create is a new generation of "moonshiners."

ah shit man id love to get me some bud yo!

what next wrote:

Seriously, do you really think this pipe dream will work? What this will create is a new generation of "moonshiners."

Sorry to inform you, but moonshiners were created during the PROHIBITION of alcohol. Once alcohol prohibition was repealed, the moonshiners either went away, or started legal breweries and distilleries, i.e Anheizer Busch, Jack Daniels, Miller Brewing Company, Fetzer wineries, etc.

First Octo-mom now this. You people are insane whats next taxing on prostitution and legalizaing crack. Yeah why dont you guys just legalize undrage drinking and make more money that way, then let them go behind the wheel and kill people and call it DUP (driving under pot) it wont matter people get DUI'S all the TIME what makes u think they are not gonna do it under pot. Our generation is F%$$#!!!

Zip ties? I thought we were beyond this.

Very Upset wrote:

First Octo-mom now this. You people are insane whats next taxing on prostitution and legalizaing crack.

we could see what the sex revenue is in Nevada, where legalized prostitution is a big business.

we already tax cigarettes, alcohol, and gambling winnings.

A lobbyist for the $50 million (£36 million) a year industry is asking state legislators to consider taxing brothels as a way to raise extra revenue for Nevada, which is facing a $2 billion budget shortfall, and to protect his industry from being criminalised.

George Flint, director of the Nevada Brothel Association, said that he saw the offer as "something of an insurance policy" against a possible future decision by the state to outlaw the industry, which was legalised in 1971.

Nevada is the only US state where prostitution is legal, although it is confined to counties with a population of under 400,000. Brothels are subject to local taxes but at present pay only $100 to the state for a business licence fee.

Mr Flint has asked the state government to create an entertainment tax that would require Nevada's 25 legal brothels to pay the state money on each transaction with customers.

So far, however, he said the suggestion has been rejected by officials.

"I am a voice crying in the wilderness," he told the New York Times. "It's not going to make a hell of a lot of money, but we would be happy to pay our fair share. We can't even get a hearing. The speaker of the House told me:'As bad as it is, I don't think we want to go there'."

His call has some support from at least one state politician, Bob Coffin, who heads the Nevada's senate taxation committee and has called for legalisation - and taxation - of prostitution to be extended to Nevada's biggest urban centres, Las Vegas and Reno.

But opponents, including the state assembly speaker Barbara Buckley, a Democrat, said that is exactly what they fear - that the tax is an attempt to pave the way towards legalising prostitution in the state's largest counties.

Oscar Goodman, mayor of Las Vegas, supports legalising and taxing brothels in his city to regulate the "rampant prostitution" that already exists and raise money for public services.

"[People] tell me we're missing tens of million of dollars that could be used for the school system, to keep jail guards employed, to provide mental health services," he told the New York Times.

Brothel owners meanwhile are split on the idea with some saying they are already struggling without an extra tax burden.