Lee and Darryl posted on the Federal government’s backing off of our and Colorado’s marijuana laws. It means that at least for a while things can proceed. So it got me thinking, now that the lowest of the low hanging fruit has been plucked, what’s the next step for Washington voters/activists to push for in ending the drug war? If I do the rest of this as a series of questions, it hopefully encourages discussion, and means I don’t have to do any actual research.
In an open thread the other day, I noted the proposal to make it not a felony to have larger quantities of drugs provided there wasn’t an intent to distribute. Is that a good next step? Are there questions about the ways to make sure that the marijuana legalization is implemented in a proper manner that we can best serve as a model for the rest of the country? Is there money in the budget for rehab and other programs that would be better than prison?
Anyway, have at it, in the comments.
So how will the pro MJ crowd deal with Bad Spice/Black Mamba (fake MJ)? Will the two HA drug lords deal with it now that we saw the results in Colorado?
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The presence of fake/adulterated/mimic pot is a consequence of the genuine article being illegal.
The ones you cite, and others, claim to be mixtures of mild herbal intoxicants, but in actuality appear to be inert herbal matter dosed with any of a number of synthetic cannabinoids, a very large and diverse group of chemicals, including the well known THC. The reason for going to all this trouble (read expense) is that bona fide pot is illegal.
If you legalize pot, and have a well-designed, well-funded regulatory regime, like with alcohol or what we’re supposed to be doing with other foodstuffs, you end up with cheaper pot – disincentivizing the sale of the synthetic crap, and ensuring what is for sale (taxed and regulated) is the genuine article.
See, puddybigot, the thing you cite and link to is in fact an argument FOR the legalization of pot – once again, your links do not support the sneering arguments you make. Same old, same old.
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The fake MJ won’t be necessary now that the real stuff is legal. Or hadn’t you thought about that?
No, you hadn’t thought at all.
The new initiative is another good step, but the next big battles in ending the drug war will involve allowing maintenance treatment for addicts and legalizing other non-addictive drugs like MDMA and psilocybin (shrooms).