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veggie
Registered: 07/25/04
Posts: 17,504
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Massachusetts bill to legalize marijuana
#13977085 - 02/17/11 12:25 AM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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Massachusetts bill to legalize marijuana February 16, 2011 - digitaljournal.com
A bill calling for the legalization, regulation and taxation of recreational marijuana has been introduced into the Massachusetts Legislature.
"The Cannabis Regulation and Taxation Act", which was drafted by attorney Richard M. Evans and introduced by Rep. Ellen Story (D-Amherst), would legalize the possession, consumption and sale of marijuana. An age limit of 21 and multiple fee-requiring licenses would also be established.
The bill includes specific regulations and limits, such as processors of marijuana only being able to process the cannabis into one ounce packages, a $5000 fine for driving while high and specific indoor locations to sell the product.
As noted in The Daily Collegian, the bill would also erect a Cannabis Control Authority. Made up of seven part-time directors serving seven-year terms and collecting salaries 20% that of the governor's, the group would oversee the Massachusetts cannabis industry, create regulations and rules, revoke licenses in the case of transgressing any laws pertaining to marijuana and its distribution, approve licenses for cannabis and collect $10 excise taxes per one percent of THC per one ounce of marijuana.
While many are glad to see such a bill in the legislature, they still maintain a cautious outlook on the likelihood of the bill actually passing.
Although he created it, Evans believes that the bill won't pull through because the legislature "won’t touch the legalization bill with a 10-foot pole.” He further states that supporters of the bill are reluctant to voice their approval because of fear that they will be labeled drug addicts.
A ballot initiative, Evans claims, would be a more effective first step towards the legalization of cannabis.
However, such an initiative would have to wait until 2014 to be introduced because under the law, highly similar proposals cannot be filed within four years of each other.
Nevertheless, Massachusetts is still a focal point in the crusade to legalize marijuana. According to The MetroWest Daily News, since 2000, voters in the state have had a positive reaction to every question pertaining to the easing of restrictions on weed.
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Konyap
Registered: 06/30/07
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Re: Massachusetts bill to legalize marijuana [Re: veggie]
#13977145 - 02/17/11 12:39 AM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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5000 for driving high
tell them to take that bill and shove it where the sun dont shine
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Alicedee25
Registered: 06/24/08
Posts: 794
Last seen: 14 days, 9 hours
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Re: Massachusetts bill to legalize marijuana [Re: Konyap]
#13977332 - 02/17/11 01:56 AM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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$5000? jeez drunks get way less than that..
positive step tho. and 2014 until we see this bill become anything besides debate..
-------------------- Here's Tom with the weather
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mr.711
thats whats up
Registered: 06/06/10
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Re: Massachusetts bill to legalize marijuana [Re: Alicedee25]
#13977394 - 02/17/11 02:27 AM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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at first i was like until i saw the $5000 fine for driving high than i oh well i drive great while driving high so i would be ok
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Cognitive_Shift
CS actual
Registered: 12/11/07
Posts: 29,591
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Re: Massachusetts bill to legalize marijuana [Re: mr.711]
#13977525 - 02/17/11 04:09 AM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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Legalize pot. It's only been a good idea since 1934.
-------------------- L'enfer est plein de bonnes volontés et désirs
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masspan
l'eclair
Registered: 07/26/08
Posts: 5,268
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Re: Massachusetts bill to legalize marijuana [Re: Cognitive_Shift]
#13977594 - 02/17/11 05:26 AM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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2014?
wtf!
-------------------- my mother said, to get things done, you'd better not mess with Major Tom...whose status is the baddest, everytime 'they' bless the apparatus
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The Phleg
Big Dick Chakra
Registered: 03/07/10
Posts: 14,473
Loc: Uncanny Valley
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Re: Massachusetts bill to legalize marijuana [Re: veggie]
#13977608 - 02/17/11 05:39 AM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
collect $10 excise taxes per one percent of THC per one ounce of marijuana.
Finally, potency is understood by the government. But we still get in trouble for the same amount of shitty brick marijuana.
-------------------- You wanna get high? Drink tap water. --------------------
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guest1
Mycena
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Re: Massachusetts bill to legalize marijuana [Re: The Phleg] 1
#13977623 - 02/17/11 05:54 AM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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So they have until 2014 to refine the bill and make it as appealing as possible. LEGALIZE CANNABIS! I agree the $5,000 fine for driving high is ridiculous UNLESS you get pulled over for driving dangerously. If you get pulled over for a light out or a license tag that expired within 24 hours and you happen to be high, I don't think you should get charged $5,000. However, I guess you could get high and just have someone else drive for you, just like with alcohol. Being in a car drunk is not against the law, just driving drunk is.
Again, any step towards more freedom with cannabis is welcome and you HAVE to expect them to toss in some tough penalties to make it more appealing to all the ignorant masses that say "OMG WE'RE SCARED OF LEGALIZATION!" they see "$5000 fine for driving high" and say "AH HA! THAT WILL SHOW THOSE @#(%ERS!! I'LL VOTE FOR IT JUST TO GET SMOKERS PISSED ABOUT THAT FINE!".
Simply lowering penalties and raising freedoms without having some very negative law against it also go into play, will end up failing miserably as of now. More people have to be properly educated about the lack of danger of cannabis, before the addition of negative laws can start to become practical.
Even if they just said "No jail or prison time for cannabis users if you have under 1 pound of cannabis" would be a huge step forward as a national law. Imagine if you could never be arrested for cannabis, only given fines, that would be great.
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sporophight
Stranger
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Re: Massachusetts bill to legalize marijuana [Re: The Phleg]
#13977771 - 02/17/11 07:17 AM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
collect $10 excise taxes per one percent of THC per one ounce of marijuana.
sounds like its going to be rather expensive. an ounce of 10% THC comes with 100 dollars of tax on top of the actual price.
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doeboy99
Stranger
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Re: Massachusetts bill to legalize marijuana [Re: guest1]
#13977809 - 02/17/11 07:36 AM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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actually if you have the keys in your hand and ur walking toward your car drunk here in NC they can charge you because the assumption is that your going to drive. If you put the keys in the ignition and ur drunk that will also get you a DWI or DUI depending on level of intoxication here in NC.
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Le_Canard
The Duk Abides
Registered: 05/16/03
Posts: 94,392
Loc: Earthfarm 1
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Re: Massachusetts bill to legalize marijuana [Re: guest1]
#13977839 - 02/17/11 07:49 AM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
guest1 said: Even if they just said "No jail or prison time for cannabis users if you have under 1 pound of cannabis" would be a huge step forward as a national law. Imagine if you could never be arrested for cannabis, only given fines, that would be great.
Yeah, we need at least decriminalization at the federal level to see some real progress in this.
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Rabid Jelly Bean
Stranger
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Re: Massachusetts bill to legalize marijuana [Re: sporophight]
#13978008 - 02/17/11 09:03 AM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
sporophight said:
Quote:
collect $10 excise taxes per one percent of THC per one ounce of marijuana.
sounds like its going to be rather expensive. an ounce of 10% THC comes with 100 dollars of tax on top of the actual price.
That's for an ounce though. Remember whatever state legalizes marijuana will have the lowest prices in the world before taxes. It's not bad a deal if they were the first to legalize it. Once more states legalize it, it might get a little more competitive tax wise.
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LongStrangeTrip
Deadhead
Registered: 09/19/09
Posts: 5,382
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Re: Massachusetts bill to legalize marijuana [Re: Konyap]
#13978204 - 02/17/11 10:15 AM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
aiyobro said: 5000 for driving high
tell them to take that bill and shove it where the sun dont shine
lol its better than going to jail, like it is now
-------------------- Nothing I say or do is factual; every single thing I write is a work of fiction. Got no idea what I'm talking about here~ "Once in awhile, you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right"~ (Grateful Dead) "o puer, qui omnia nomini debes"; "You, boy, who owe's everything to a name"~ Mark Anthony "Nihil est incertius vulgo, nihil obscurius voluntate hominum, nihil fallacius ratione tota comitiorum."; "Nothing is more unpredictable than the mob, nothing more obscure than public opinion, nothing more deceptive than the whole political system."~ Cicero
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Heffy
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Re: Massachusetts bill to legalize marijuana [Re: guest1]
#13978298 - 02/17/11 10:41 AM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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just like with alcohol. Being in a car drunk is not against the law, just driving drunk is.
Where I live this is untrue. You will definitely get a DUI for sitting in your parked car drunk.
-------------------- I am the king of Rome, and above grammar! - Emperor Sigismund
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DrGuano
Registered: 12/06/08
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Re: Massachusetts bill to legalize marijuana [Re: Heffy]
#13978356 - 02/17/11 11:00 AM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
Heffy said:
Quote:
just like with alcohol. Being in a car drunk is not against the law, just driving drunk is.
Where I live this is untrue. You will definitely get a DUI for sitting in your parked car drunk.
But you wont get a DUI for being in the passenger seat drunk with a sober person driving
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Shamrocker
mst3k
Registered: 02/17/11
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Re: Massachusetts bill to legalize marijuana [Re: DrGuano]
#13979424 - 02/17/11 03:33 PM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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The Massachusetts legislature "decriminalized" possession of less than an oz. of weed last year. Instead it was deemed a civil matter. A cop could only issue a $100.00 fine ... and get this! The officer isn't allowed to ask for ID! Out of the thousands of citations issued, I think 11 or so people actually paid the fine. Lol They must've been stupid as well as stoned. Hilarious
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fall
Stranger
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Re: Massachusetts bill to legalize marijuana [Re: Shamrocker]
#13979653 - 02/17/11 04:06 PM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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A question during the last election which was effectively 'Should marijuana be legal' passed in every district it was asked... that political suicide bit is getting old. And 5k is insane given there isn't really a way to prove weed intoxication in real time. And $10/%/Oz is ridiculous, with danks thats a solid 150+ on top of the price... and hopefully the actual cost won't be outmatched by taxes, that doesn't even make sense...
But cool I guess
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Konyap
Registered: 06/30/07
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Re: Massachusetts bill to legalize marijuana [Re: LongStrangeTrip]
#13979655 - 02/17/11 04:06 PM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
LongStrangeTrip said:
Quote:
aiyobro said: 5000 for driving high
tell them to take that bill and shove it where the sun dont shine
lol its better than going to jail, like it is now
how many people talking ona cell phone get a 5 thousand doller billllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
wtf are you on goin to jail for?
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LongStrangeTrip
Deadhead
Registered: 09/19/09
Posts: 5,382
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Re: Massachusetts bill to legalize marijuana [Re: Konyap]
#13980137 - 02/17/11 05:31 PM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
aiyobro said:
Quote:
LongStrangeTrip said:
Quote:
aiyobro said: 5000 for driving high
tell them to take that bill and shove it where the sun dont shine
lol its better than going to jail, like it is now
how many people talking ona cell phone get a 5 thousand doller billllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
wtf are you on goin to jail for?
I guess I assumed we were talking about driving while high you can get in trouble if they conclude your high, or god forbid your actually holding... lol assumed that was our situation here
-------------------- Nothing I say or do is factual; every single thing I write is a work of fiction. Got no idea what I'm talking about here~ "Once in awhile, you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right"~ (Grateful Dead) "o puer, qui omnia nomini debes"; "You, boy, who owe's everything to a name"~ Mark Anthony "Nihil est incertius vulgo, nihil obscurius voluntate hominum, nihil fallacius ratione tota comitiorum."; "Nothing is more unpredictable than the mob, nothing more obscure than public opinion, nothing more deceptive than the whole political system."~ Cicero
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5-HT2A
Registered: 01/30/10
Posts: 1,794
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Re: Massachusetts bill to legalize marijuana [Re: LongStrangeTrip]
#13980598 - 02/17/11 06:55 PM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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a $5000 fine for driving while high and specific indoor locations to sell the product.
LOL what a fucking joke. Five grand for driving high? I'm pretty sure most people could never afford that. The only reason it's probably in there is to appease these retarded water head soccer moms who are "concerned" about such things. Driving high is safer than driving sober because road rage is eliminated and it doesn't impair driving. End of story. Next.
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