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There was a clear winner on election night: Marijuana

thehill.com

11–20 of 147 posts

Re: There was a clear winner on election night: Marijuana

#11
post #6

I really wish there were also laws about not doing it in public spaces. I don't care if people do it in their own spaces, but when the smell wafts out onto the sidewalk, it makes me nauseous.

Public consumption is illegal for all (?) states that have legalized it.

Re: There was a clear winner on election night: Marijuana

#12
post #7

I think it would make a fascinating poli sci case study about why almost all cannabis legalization came from popular referendum instead of legislation. What is it about cannabis that makes it so much more amenable to direct democracy compared to representative democracy. Polls show that overwhelming majorities in most states support legalization. Yet elected representative have been extremely reticent to move policy…

Drug prohibition benefits established power structures. It's the same reason why neither major party wants to enact universal healthcare, despite being generally acknowledged as more efficient in terms of care for the cost.

Re: There was a clear winner on election night: Marijuana

#13
post #6

I really wish there were also laws about not doing it in public spaces. I don't care if people do it in their own spaces, but when the smell wafts out onto the sidewalk, it makes me nauseous.

At least it isn't hazardous like cigarette smoke. I really wish cigarettes were completely banned in public spaces. If you want to destroy your own lungs on your own property, fine. But I shouldn't have to breath it in.

Add gasoline/diesel powered automobiles to that list please.

Re: There was a clear winner on election night: Marijuana

#14
post #6

I really wish there were also laws about not doing it in public spaces. I don't care if people do it in their own spaces, but when the smell wafts out onto the sidewalk, it makes me nauseous.

It's illegal to use in public as others have said, but enforcing this rule isn't exactly a high priority for police. I think it's really a situation where somebody has to ask the smokers to stop, like many other obnoxious but not felonious behaviors.

Re: There was a clear winner on election night: Marijuana

#15
post #6

I really wish there were also laws about not doing it in public spaces. I don't care if people do it in their own spaces, but when the smell wafts out onto the sidewalk, it makes me nauseous.

Public consumption is illegal for all (?) states that have legalized it.

Same in BC, but that's very inconsistently enforced

Re: There was a clear winner on election night: Marijuana

#16
post #6

I really wish there were also laws about not doing it in public spaces. I don't care if people do it in their own spaces, but when the smell wafts out onto the sidewalk, it makes me nauseous.

I think if you just decriminalize it instead of completely legalizing it then usually what happens is people will successfully hide it so they don't give away their dealer, and the cops get to go after a potential larger offender as well instead of having to convince the locals the small time users aren't criminals. Based on my experience in Canada. Of course, then the dealer will try to upsell their users to harder drugs so there's trade-offs there.

Ultimately it's the same as drinking though, just be considerate and hide it from the kids!

Re: There was a clear winner on election night: Marijuana

#17
post #12
post #7

I think it would make a fascinating poli sci case study about why almost all cannabis legalization came from popular referendum instead of legislation. What is it about cannabis that makes it so much more amenable to direct democracy compared to representative democracy. Polls show that overwhelming majorities in most states support legalization. Yet elected representative have been extremely reticent to move policy…

Drug prohibition benefits established power structures. It's the same reason why neither major party wants to enact universal healthcare, despite being generally acknowledged as more efficient in terms of care for the cost.

Does this mean states could enact universal healthcare from referendum, or are they barred from incurring tax raising consequences?

Re: There was a clear winner on election night: Marijuana

#18
post #6

I really wish there were also laws about not doing it in public spaces. I don't care if people do it in their own spaces, but when the smell wafts out onto the sidewalk, it makes me nauseous.

At least it isn't hazardous like cigarette smoke. I really wish cigarettes were completely banned in public spaces. If you want to destroy your own lungs on your own property, fine. But I shouldn't have to breath it in.

Smoke is bad for you period. The chemicals and nicotine content is irrelevant.

Re: There was a clear winner on election night: Marijuana

#19
post #6

I really wish there were also laws about not doing it in public spaces. I don't care if people do it in their own spaces, but when the smell wafts out onto the sidewalk, it makes me nauseous.

At least it isn't hazardous like cigarette smoke. I really wish cigarettes were completely banned in public spaces. If you want to destroy your own lungs on your own property, fine. But I shouldn't have to breath it in.

Well sure, that too. Although cigarettes seem to be not as popular as weed around where I live.

Re: There was a clear winner on election night: Marijuana

#20
post #6

I really wish there were also laws about not doing it in public spaces. I don't care if people do it in their own spaces, but when the smell wafts out onto the sidewalk, it makes me nauseous.

I agree with you that it is very obnoxious and super rude to be doing in an area close to other non-consenting people. I also think that a law about where you could smoke would inevitably be abused and not serve anyone: for example, is it really a police matter that you can smell your neighbors smoking weed, or that someone is doing it to near you in a park. I think we need to get away from this tattle tail mentality and work on being clearer with people when their behavior is interfering with our enjoyment of our surroundings. Being polite about smoking pot needs to become a social norm, not a law.

And just as a concrete example, I would rather see tax money go to an ad campaign that says "a lot of people find the smell of pot disgusting, smoke it away from others" than into law enforcement.

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