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 thezidane
Registered: 12/09/08
Posts: 110
Loc: australia
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 High Stakes: A Call to Legalize Marijuana - CBS
#10668364 - 07/13/09 09:51 AM (2 years, 10 months ago) |
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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/12/sunday/main5153158.shtml
(CBS) A high-stakes political battle is underway in the cash-strapped state of California. At issue is the narrowly-defined liberty people have there to grow and sell a certain plant . . . and the desire of some folks to have the state government TAX it. John Blackstone reports our Cover Story:
In Oakland, Calif., Richard Lee runs a string of businesses, from coffee shops to glass blowing that are helping revitalize the once-decaying downtown.
But Lee's business empire is built on an unusual foundation: Selling marijuana
In the back of his Blue Sky Coffee Shop there's a steady stream of cash buyers, and not just for coffee.
"In the front you get the coffee and pastries, and in the back you get the cannabis," Lee said.
A salesman told customers, "You're welcome to pull the bags out and smell the herb as you like."
What's going on here is illegal under federal law, but permitted under California law that since 1996 has allowed marijuana for medical use.
A dozen other states have similar laws. One customer named Charles said pot is exactly what his doctor ordered.
"So that's what relieves my anxiety and allows me to cope and feel good," he said.
Lee has dubbed his Oakland neighborhood "Oaksterdam" . . . with a nod to Amsterdam and its liberal drug laws. His goal is to make this a tourist destination, with marijuana its main attraction.
"Does that worry people around here?" asked Blackstone.
"No, people around here love it 'cause they see how much we've improved the neighborhood," Lee said.
Next door to where Lee sells marijuana, Gertha Hays sells clothes. She says the dispensary brings people from all walks of life. "There's no particular pothead," she said, "so everyone comes over there."
"So these aren't just druggies in there?" Blackstone asked.
"No, not at all. If you look and see who comes up and down thethe block you'll see it's so diverse," Hays said.
Part of the Oaksterdam neighborhood is a nursery growing a cash crop: Medical marijuana is now estimated to be a $2 to 3 billion business in California.
"Yeah, there's a lot of people making a lot of money," lee said.
There are now several hundred medical marijuana dispensaries in California . . . and much more marijuana being sold on the street.
"We estimate, overall, [the] California cannabis industry is in the neighborhood of around $15 billion," lee said.
While there is disagreement over the real size of the marijuana market it's big enough to have captured the attention of lawmakers trying to fill a huge hole in the state budget.
Assemblyman Tom Ammiano is pushing legislation to legalize pot so the state can inhale new taxes.
"I thought it was high time, no pun intended, for this to be on the table," Ammiano said. "I'm trying to beat everybody to the punch with the jokes, because I get a lot of 'em," he laughed.
There are many who ridicule the idea, but the state tax board estimates Ammiano's proposed tax of $50 an ounce could bring in $1.5 to 2 billion a year.
"We find that highly unlikely," said Rosalie Pacula, of the Rand Drug Policy Research Center. She says California is likely to be disappointed by the revenue raised on marijuana that now sells for about $150 an ounce.
"If you try to impose a tax that is that high, you have absolutely no incentive for the black market to disappear," she said. "There is complete profit motive for them to actually stay."
The tax proposal, though, has started an unusual political discussion. According to one poll, 56 percent of California voters say marijuana should be legalized and taxed. Even California's Republican governor has not snuffed out talk of legalization.
"No, I think it's not time for that, but I think it's time for debate," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said. "All of those ideas for creating extra revenues, I'm always for an open debate on it."
Check out reports on the debate over legalization in CBSNews.com's special section "Marijuana Nation."
Of course, Governor Schwarzenegger, from his earlier life, does have some experience . . .
. . . as does the president himself.
"I inhaled, frequently," Mr. Obama admitted on the campaign trail, in a nod to President Bill Clinton's earlier quasi-admission. "That was the point."
And while the president says he is opposed to legalizing pot ("No, I don't think that is a good strategy to grow our economy"), his administration has ordered the DEA to stop raiding state-approved medical marijuana dispensaries.
It's a big change from decades of viewing the plant as the indisputable evil portrayed in the 1936 film "Reefer Madness."
But that old image has been going up in smoke for decades.
It was along for the trip in 1969 in the movie "Easy Rider," and on the cover of Life Magazine. On TV today it's just a part of suburban life in the series "Weeds."
And then there's the growing recognition of marijuana as medicine.
Predict: Marijuana Nation
Will any state legalize marijuana by the end of 2009?
"Marijuana has been a medicine for 5,000 years," said Dr. Donald Abrams of San Francisco General Hospital. "It's only for the last 70 years that it hasn't been a medicine in this country."
Dr. Abrams has been studying marijuana for twelve years and is convinced it is both effective and safe.
"I think marijuana is a very good medicine," he said. "I'm a cancer doctor. I take care every day of patients who have loss of appetite, nausea, pain, difficulty sleeping and depression. I have one medicine that can treat all of those symptoms, instead of five different medicines to which they may become addicted.
"And that one is marijuana, and they're not gonna become addicted to it?" Blackstone said.
"That's correct," said Dr. Abrams.
But those who have been fighting the war on drugs say that, just because marijuana may be medicine, that doesn't mean it should be legal.
"There's just no doubt about it that the drug cartels and the drug organizations are very much involved in the production and sale of marijuana, said Roy Wasden, police chief in Modesto, Calif., where a lot of marijuana is grown.
"You can be out walking through the national forest, and if you hike into one of these marijuana grows, you'll be at great risk," he said.
And drug fighters warn aging boomers that marijuana isn't the gentle weed they remember. Today's pot is a whole different kettle of fish
"The marijuana of the 1960s and Woodstock is not what's being sold on the streets in the United States today, said Chief Bernard Melekian, head of the California Police Chiefs Association. "The narcotic portion, the THC of marijuana in the '60s, hovered around one or two percent. THC today is around 27 to 30 percent.
"You have a very significantly different plant."
Teaching people to grow that plant is another one of Richard Lee's businesses.
Lee runs Oaksterdam University, where students also learn how to stay within the state's medical marijuana laws.
"So you can't plant those seeds until you know what the law is?" Blackstone asked.
"Right," said Lee. "Vote today and get high tonight."
Students like Darnell Blackman and Barbara Kramer see an opportunity to do good . . . and to do well . . . by growing marijuana.
"Just like aspirin or ibuprofen or any of those other medications, cannabis is just another way of helping people," said Blackman.
"I thought maybe there was some way that I could get in the ground floor, get ahead of the curve on where this industry might be going," said Kramer.
There are still plenty of obstacles before it's a legal industry. Chief Wasden says this is no time for a surrender in the war on drugs.
"Fewer kids are using drugs today," he said. "We're not losing the war on drugs. Kids are starting to understand the negative, negative consequences of drug abuse. Do we need to introduce another dependency-driven substance into our community when in fact we're making progress?"
But in the community now known as Oaksterdam, the drug warriors are nowhere to be seen . . . as a whole neighborhood goes to pot.
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 jwes420
Dude, your balls are Showing.
Registered: 05/13/09
Posts: 199
Last seen: 1 year, 2 months
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Re: High Stakes: A Call to Legalize Marijuana - CBS [Re: thezidane]
#10668424 - 07/13/09 10:04 AM (2 years, 10 months ago) |
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Beautiful!
50$ Tax though?
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Is this Penis Envy?
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begreen0
Trying the best I can...
Registered: 05/21/08
Posts: 183
Last seen: 29 days, 3 minutes
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Re: High Stakes: A Call to Legalize Marijuana - CBS [Re: thezidane]
#10668430 - 07/13/09 10:06 AM (2 years, 10 months ago) |
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"The narcotic portion, the THC of marijuana in the '60s, hovered around one or two percent. THC today is around 27 to 30 percent."You have a very significantly different plant."
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Memantine, is in my ears, and in my eyes
Exercise, is easily one of the best things you can do for generating pleasure, confidence, health, and sustained well-being. Really.
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DrugsRGood
Philosopher
Registered: 07/10/09
Posts: 506
Loc: Canada 
Last seen: 4 months, 19 days
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Re: High Stakes: A Call to Legalize Marijuana - CBS [Re: begreen0]
#10668706 - 07/13/09 10:55 AM (2 years, 10 months ago) |
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Does anyone know WHY exactly the THC content is 15-20x higher than it was before?
I already knew this but I just don't know why and I'm a curious man. 
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OrgoneConclusion
Pharoah & Balanced
Registered: 04/01/07
Posts: 29,352
Loc: Luxor
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Re: High Stakes: A Call to Legalize Marijuana - CBS [Re: DrugsRGood]
#10668876 - 07/13/09 11:34 AM (2 years, 10 months ago) |
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As a member of the Woodstock Generation, I can tell you this information is wrong on nearly every level.
1. There was a lot more ditchweed/brickweed going around in the '60s and '70s, but the best weed of the day put today's weed to shame. Today's smokers are connosieurs who rarely settle for garbage so the the average potency is up, but the average potency of top shelf weed has changed very little.
2. People smoking 1-2% THC pot would not even get a buzz and would never continue to smoke.
3. THC measurements are NOT standardized in any way nor was the government doing THC chromatographs on cannabis back in the day so any numbers are bogus.
4. Much of the early weed was seeded. Factoring in THC-less seeds drops the THC numbers by as much as half. Today, seeded weed is much less common.
Is THC measured in the whole plant? No.
Are the plants being measured at the exact same percentage of water/dryness? No.
Are the buds cured and trimmed in exactly the same way on all samples tested? Of course not.
1/3 of your bag of weed is a pure chemical? Not possible unless it is refined hash oil.
And so on. The variablitiy is enormous EVEN USING the exact same strain! Ask how they determine these numbers and you will never get a clear answer because it is merely propaganda.
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This is your drain on brugs.
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wietstocker
product ofevolution
Registered: 07/14/03
Posts: 317
Loc: Cranium, PNW
Last seen: 1 day, 20 hours
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Re: High Stakes: A Call to Legalize Marijuana - CBS [Re: DrugsRGood]
#10668897 - 07/13/09 11:38 AM (2 years, 10 months ago) |
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Pot of yore was mostly outdoor grown and a nicely homogenous mix of leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers. Obviously, by weight this mix is going to have a lower proportion of active chemicals.
Despite decades of breeding to maximize active oils, I still see all this "different drug" business as a form of ignorant propaganda fathomed up by people who merely read marijuana statistics.
Is it more powerful on average? Yeah.
Is it 20x so? Doubtful.
Is it worse for you - physically or mentally? Good question. Why don't we actually take the time to explore this and other important inquiries?
'Tis ironic that folks use the "strength excuse" these days since the old propaganda is losing ground.
I think we need to address the social drive for pot use if we want to curb its use among kids. Kids will do "what's cool" 95% of the time. Pot needs to be rendered "uncool"... somehow... What a paradox...
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Echoes
Edited by wietstocker (07/13/09 11:41 AM)
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OrgoneConclusion
Pharoah & Balanced
Registered: 04/01/07
Posts: 29,352
Loc: Luxor
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Re: High Stakes: A Call to Legalize Marijuana - CBS [Re: jwes420]
#10668903 - 07/13/09 11:40 AM (2 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
50$ Tax though?
Of course this is ridiculous! That would still be an infringement on your rights and treating one plant out of millions as some evil requiring special treatment.
The tax should be no different than on buying basil or thyme. The government is 'supposed' to tax you based upon a service they provide, not merely as a way to extract money from you.
Legal Point: Alcohol prohibition required a change to the Constitution. Prohibition of other subtsances should have required similar legal treatment, but an end-around was illegally performed.
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This is your drain on brugs.
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Raijin
The Ridge Runner
Registered: 06/23/09
Posts: 152
Loc: PA
Last seen: 2 years, 7 months
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Re: High Stakes: A Call to Legalize Marijuana - CBS [Re: OrgoneConclusion]
#10670385 - 07/13/09 03:42 PM (2 years, 10 months ago) |
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Honestly, if I could buy an ounce of medical marijuana for $200 with the $50 tax on it, I'd be happy as hell.
I can't get an ounce of mids for $200.
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Everything I post is an artistic work of fiction. Only a fool would take anything I post as fact.
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SbstratAlchemist
Enthusiast
Registered: 01/29/09
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Re: High Stakes: A Call to Legalize Marijuana - CBS [Re: jwes420]
#10670514 - 07/13/09 04:03 PM (2 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
jwes420 said:
Beautiful!
50$ Tax though?
They will adjust the tax rate to ensure most consumers buy the taxed product rather than the black market's product. The important thing right now is to get the ball rolling.
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ToiletDuk
Cat Psychiatrist
Registered: 05/16/03
Posts: 73,283
Loc: Earthfarm 1
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Re: High Stakes: A Call to Legalize Marijuana - CBS [Re: thezidane]
#10670535 - 07/13/09 04:07 PM (2 years, 10 months ago) |
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This is definitely a step in the right direction. Hopefully, other states will follow.
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OrgoneConclusion
Pharoah & Balanced
Registered: 04/01/07
Posts: 29,352
Loc: Luxor
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Re: High Stakes: A Call to Legalize Marijuana - CBS [Re: Raijin]
#10671704 - 07/13/09 07:47 PM (2 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
Honestly, if I could buy an ounce of medical marijuana for $200 with the $50 tax on it, I'd be happy as hell.
Oc course, but only because you have been raped for so long. Once again, what service does the government provide as pertains to MJ that they deserve any more than an ordinary sales tax on it?
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This is your drain on brugs.
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Cap Stemson
Stranger
Registered: 03/30/09
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Re: High Stakes: A Call to Legalize Marijuana - CBS [Re: OrgoneConclusion]
#10671861 - 07/13/09 08:11 PM (2 years, 10 months ago) |
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"If you try to impose a tax that is that high, you have absolutely no incentive for the black market to disappear," she said. "There is complete profit motive for them to actually stay."
that is such bull shit! having it illegal is WAY more of an incentive for the black market to make a profit. This bitch is fuckin dumb, no wonder she was elected. (Sarah Palin, George Bush, etc.)
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OrgoneConclusion
Pharoah & Balanced
Registered: 04/01/07
Posts: 29,352
Loc: Luxor
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Re: High Stakes: A Call to Legalize Marijuana - CBS [Re: Cap Stemson]
#10671950 - 07/13/09 08:24 PM (2 years, 10 months ago) |
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Sorry, but she is correct. Capitalism is about the market finding its own level. Because of the exorbitant tax on cigs, a new black market has arisen in tobacco.
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This is your drain on brugs.
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FleshCap
Sergeant Spore
Registered: 11/10/08
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Loc: Los Angeles Underground 
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Re: High Stakes: A Call to Legalize Marijuana - CBS [Re: OrgoneConclusion]
#10672853 - 07/13/09 10:54 PM (2 years, 10 months ago) |
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As long as we have the right to grow. At that point we have a choice: pay the tax, or choose to grow tax free. That is progress. That is freedom.
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I'll mail you FREE Mushroom Stickers & Zip Bags, Click Here.
Click here to visit the SACRED MUSHROOM ART GALLERY.
"I am a neo-tribal cyberpunk from the 6thdimension and the Mushroom is my spiritual Ally.
Now excuse me, you're blocking the entrance to the portal."
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silosighbin
this is the apocalypse
Registered: 05/17/09
Posts: 1,757
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Re: High Stakes: A Call to Legalize Marijuana - CBS [Re: FleshCap]
#10672970 - 07/13/09 11:23 PM (2 years, 10 months ago) |
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The DEA would never let this happen. 
so obviously we need a change in DEA scheduling. 
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i am caustic
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darius33
Cogito Ergo Nom
Registered: 04/04/09
Posts: 128
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Re: High Stakes: A Call to Legalize Marijuana - CBS [Re: silosighbin]
#10675022 - 07/14/09 11:36 AM (2 years, 10 months ago) |
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The black market will slowly disappear when legalization happens because people will be able to safely grow their own. Who wants brick weed when you can have something you've put the time and effort into making something?
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anthony034
Messiah
Registered: 05/24/07
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Re: High Stakes: A Call to Legalize Marijuana - CBS [Re: darius33]
#10675832 - 07/14/09 01:58 PM (2 years, 10 months ago) |
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buying mids supports the war on drugs.
support local organic farmers.
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YES WE CAN
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TrancedShroom
Mr. Hanky
Registered: 03/08/06
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Re: High Stakes: A Call to Legalize Marijuana - CBS [Re: anthony034]
#10676550 - 07/14/09 04:09 PM (2 years, 10 months ago) |
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I can see if they allow it to be legalized, they might instate a warrant-less search on people's houses to find "other" drugs.
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Satival
Stranger
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Re: High Stakes: A Call to Legalize Marijuana - CBS [Re: TrancedShroom]
#10676659 - 07/14/09 04:23 PM (2 years, 10 months ago) |
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This could (if done right) cancel-out the recent economic devastation Cali has been facing. What's to lose? Nothing. So do it.
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anthony034
Messiah
Registered: 05/24/07
Posts: 306
Loc: International Waters
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Re: High Stakes: A Call to Legalize Marijuana - CBS [Re: Satival]
#10682165 - 07/15/09 01:03 PM (2 years, 10 months ago) |
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they will legalize marijuana just after they make high intensity lighting illegal. hahahahaha
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YES WE CAN
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