No one ever mentions how much money the feds, states and cities could save by stopping all MJ prosecutions, enforcement efforts and freeing all people in jail for MJ crimes. All drugs for that matter. Can you imagine if Boner or the tea sacks proposed that in their big plan to cut spending?

Ever watch an episode of Cops and see how excited some of those LEO types get when they bust someone for resin in the bottom of someone's hash pipe?

Some of them get absolutely orgasmic....

Just legalize it, at the very least for people with medical conditions that would benefit from having the munchies.

Is it because it takes money away from DEA and drug companies that sell synthesized versions of it? That would be my guess...Like Tom Joad said we would save a helluva lot of money if all of the MJ cases were dropped. Then LE could concentrate on more important things like strip clubs and baristas.

Chuck,

Are you suggesting that politicians are a "waste product?"

Sg

You're all just a bunch of dope smoking hippies! J/K

Obama doesn't want to be known as the president who legalized pot. Eventually the federal laws will change as the state laws are changing.

Obviously it has its benefits. Also has some undesirable side effects.

"Also has some undesirable side effects."

Yeah, for non-smokers, but that's why they put it in cookie and brownie recipes. Or did you mean that a craving for plain cheerios or a sack of Doritos is an undesirable side effect?

Yeah Salmo you know something is up when the teenagers come raid the kitchen and have the giggles.

Other side effects like tiredness, laziness, short term memory loss, suspect carcinogens.

The side effect argument is weak.

What doesn't have an undesirable side effect..........drug, food, or otherwise?

Name it.

Republican House seems almost certain to reject it, the proposal deserves support from across the political spectrum.

Most of the states, and the fed, would do well to put other things under wraps...like all the pens that the politicians use to write laws, and the nation's pocketbook.

Fish on...

Todd

WA does also.

Marinol is not even close to real bud.....it's a synthesized form of THC. I suppose the natural extraction of the compound is too much for "regular" folks to wrap their small minds around.

Marinol has it's uses but those are mainly big profits for big pharma or docs or both. MJ is demonized because the market demands the product but the .gov can't stop the demand...the Cartels and black market are the supply chain. DEA and every other alphabet soup agency get their fair cut and business continues as usual.

[censored]'em all...................

Typo.

Shouldn't that be 4:20EZ 2MANY?

Simple, Mike...there's the truth, and then there's what you do to get elected...and not often the twain shall meet.

Fish on...

Todd

Its simple:

More money is made keeping it illegal.

Court ordered rehab clinics, fines, "anti-anxiety" meds, beer & liquor industries....

Not to mention using it as an "excuse" for police while they are "profiling."

Keeps the poor and the minorities in debt or in jail...in case you were too stupid to know WTF the war on drugs was all about in the first place.

As with every single thing the Gubmint ever does, no matter what year it is, no matter what party is in power, no matter the weather, the fall lineup on ABC, the concert schedule at the Rose Bowl...whomever wins the Super Bowl, no matter what country gets the Olympics (related topic!), no matter how big the humpy run in the Green is, no matter how many sun flares there are, no matter how many earthquakes there are in SE Asia, no matter how man fires there are in the American southwest, no matter how many skirmishes there are in the Middle East (another related topic)...

No matter what about anything, ever, anywhere...there is one simple rule that always...ALWAYS...is right...it might be the only rule besides "gravity works" and "sun rises in the east"...the only other one that is hard and fast, always, with no exceptions...

Follow the money.

Fish on...

Todd

The bull about pot being a "gateway" drug pisses me off to no end.

I agree that lobbying by pharma companies (and probably alcohol producers and cigarette manufacturers as well) is a major reason why the war on drugs rages on, despite the fact that its hopelessness has been amply proven. Something else to consider is that a lot of people are employed by the war on drugs (the entirety of the DEA, who brought you this lovely article, for example). Without drug offenses, a lot fewer people would be required to enforce the laws of the land, which means unemployment would be significantly higher than it is today. I doubt any elected official wants that increase in unemployment on his/her resume.

tried to think of something smartass to say, but gubmint wont let me...

Check this link out.

See how many joints are given to the patients per month.

THIS PROGRAM IS A FEDERAL PROGRAM. Been around since '78

http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=257