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Alaskans vote to legalize marijuana

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Re: Alaskans vote to legalize marijuana

#91

Post by josho »

I can't help but to wonder if the tobacco lobby is somehow involved. For decades society fought against smoking and has largely won. So, what happened to all of those tobacco crops? I wonder if that industry is behind the legalize movement so they can shift their production to another crop.

Interesting historical fact is that initial tensions over marijuana came about because slaves, and later Mexican labourers were frequent users. White plantation owners (tobacco farmers) took issue with their practices. So, at least in part the banning of marijuana can be partially attributed to racism.

Re: Alaskans vote to legalize marijuana

#92

Post by quux »

robg wrote: post #24
japhyr wrote: post #7

Here's an interesting piece of the Alaska marijuana legal status. We just voted to legalize recreational marijuana use, which includes growing and selling marijuana. I'm happy to see it pass because possession has been legal here for a long time, but sales and distribution has not. That's a murky legal situation, which I'm happy to see cleared up. But last night an article ran in our local paper stating that the Coas…

By air, as at airport security, has been policed as a local issue, not federal.

Once the plane leaves the ground it enters federal jurisdiction and medical marijuana is contraband. I learned this during training for my pilot's license. One of the examiners in my area liked to ask candidates about this during their oral examinations and all the instructors knew to make sure their students knew the right answer :)

Re: Alaskans vote to legalize marijuana

#93

Post by benologist »

jdmichal wrote: post #20
japhyr wrote: post #7

Here's an interesting piece of the Alaska marijuana legal status. We just voted to legalize recreational marijuana use, which includes growing and selling marijuana. I'm happy to see it pass because possession has been legal here for a long time, but sales and distribution has not. That's a murky legal situation, which I'm happy to see cleared up. But last night an article ran in our local paper stating that the Coas…

I didn't think drug enforcement was a duty of the Coast Guard. Usually anything related to cargo and crew is the CBP's responsibility, while the Coast Guard is about safety (life-jackets and -boats, certifications, search and rescue, etc.).

US Coast Guard patrols down here in Costa Rica all the time specifically hunting for drugs.

Re: Alaskans vote to legalize marijuana

#94

Post by logfromblammo »

waterlesscloud wrote: post #47
techpeace wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe they're referring to the private prison industry, which makes a pretty penny off locking up non-violent drug offenders. Their trade organization listed liberalizing drug laws as a potential threat to their bottom line in their last annual report, so we can expect that they will fiercely lobby against anything happening at a federal level.

I feel like this situation is overstated a lot. Something like 8% of prisoners in the US are in privately run prisons, which could be a problem, but it's not the massive number that is often implied.

It's absolutely massive when you consider that locking up humans in cages is perhaps not the sort of thing we ought to encourage by making the practice lucrative.

The existence of even a single for-profit prison provides a perverse incentive to put the marginal criminal into a private, profit-generating cage rather than a public, tax-draining, politically-risky rehabilitation or diversion program.

Furthermore, it is an invitation to corruption. Remember the judge that was sending juvenile defendants to a reform camp, often regardless of the merits of their cases, because he was getting kickbacks from the camp?

Re: Alaskans vote to legalize marijuana

#95

Post by refurb »

nate_meurer wrote: post #64
metrix wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Profitable? It costs the state a lot to hold a prisoner.

Yes, profitable. For example, prison guard unions lobby ferociously against relaxing drug laws, in order to protect prison guards' jobs and salaries: http://www.republicreport.org/2012/marijuana-lobby-illegal/ http://mic.com/articles/41531/union-of-the-snake-how-califor... EDIT: Here's a cute quote from Corrections Corporation of America, one of the largest for-profit prison companies: "any changes with respect to dr…

It's true they have a financial incentive to maintain current drug laws, but those same incentives exist for many important roles.

If someone comes up with a cure for cancer, a lot of oncologists are going to be out of a job. Does that mean that oncologists are actively suppressing cancer cures?

Re: Alaskans vote to legalize marijuana

#96

Post by themartorana »

josho wrote: post #91

I can't help but to wonder if the tobacco lobby is somehow involved. For decades society fought against smoking and has largely won. So, what happened to all of those tobacco crops? I wonder if that industry is behind the legalize movement so they can shift their production to another crop. Interesting historical fact is that initial tensions over marijuana came about because slaves, and later Mexican labourers were…

  You’ll also see that the history of marijuana’s criminalization is filled with:

  - Racism
  - Fear
  - Protection of Corporate Profits
  - Yellow Journalism
  - Ignorant, Incompetent, and/or Corrupt Legislators  
  - Personal Career Advancement and Greed

  These are the actual reasons marijuana is illegal.
Some messed up stuff right here: http://www.drugwarrant.com/articles/why-is-marijuana-illegal...

Re: Alaskans vote to legalize marijuana

#97

Post by [deleted] »

waterlesscloud wrote: post #47
techpeace wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe they're referring to the private prison industry, which makes a pretty penny off locking up non-violent drug offenders. Their trade organization listed liberalizing drug laws as a potential threat to their bottom line in their last annual report, so we can expect that they will fiercely lobby against anything happening at a federal level.

I feel like this situation is overstated a lot. Something like 8% of prisoners in the US are in privately run prisons, which could be a problem, but it's not the massive number that is often implied.

[deleted]

Re: Alaskans vote to legalize marijuana

#98

Post by CamperBob2 »

waterlesscloud wrote: post #47
techpeace wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe they're referring to the private prison industry, which makes a pretty penny off locking up non-violent drug offenders. Their trade organization listed liberalizing drug laws as a potential threat to their bottom line in their last annual report, so we can expect that they will fiercely lobby against anything happening at a federal level.

I feel like this situation is overstated a lot. Something like 8% of prisoners in the US are in privately run prisons, which could be a problem, but it's not the massive number that is often implied.

Something like 8% of prisoners in the US are in privately run prisons, which could be a problem, but it's not the massive number that is often implied.

Quick, off the top of your head: do you have any idea just how many people are incarcerated in this country, in both absolute and per-capita terms, and how those figures compare to, say, every other country on Earth?

8% of the US prison population is a HELL of a lot of people.

Re: Alaskans vote to legalize marijuana

#99

Post by themartorana »

mikeash wrote: post #77
kyleblarson wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a Seattleite I was optimistic things might change at the federal level when Obama appointed Kerlikowski as drug czar, given his experience as police chief in what even in 2009 was a very cannabis friendly city. I guess I was just another sucker for hope and change that never materialized.

Marijuana laws are up to Congress, not the executive. They have discretion in how they enforce the laws to an extent, but they shouldn't just ignore them.

Congress makes the laws, the Executive enforces them, SCOTUS determines their Constitutionality. So in fact, one check that the Executive can have on the Legislative is in not enforcing laws.

Re: Alaskans vote to legalize marijuana

#100

Post by throwaway234 »

refurb wrote: post #95
nate_meurer wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, profitable. For example, prison guard unions lobby ferociously against relaxing drug laws, in order to protect prison guards' jobs and salaries: http://www.republicreport.org/2012/marijuana-lobby-illegal/ http://mic.com/articles/41531/union-of-the-snake-how-califor... EDIT: Here's a cute quote from Corrections Corporation of America, one of the largest for-profit prison companies: "any changes with respect to dr…

It's true they have a financial incentive to maintain current drug laws, but those same incentives exist for many important roles. If someone comes up with a cure for cancer, a lot of oncologists are going to be out of a job. Does that mean that oncologists are actively suppressing cancer cures?

Many uninformed people honestly do believe that, yes.
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