Colorado- get the vote out this november!!!

Originally Posted by Toorop

I would love to see this pass. It would be nice to see Colorado as a test state for the rest of the USA. I am tired of the pointless prohibition on marijuana. If people can't see the ridiculousness in it then there is a problem. I hope that it passes and Colorado sees a nice little budget surplus as others travel there to purchase weed without the hassle of worrying about the police or getting ripped off. It would make other states look in envy when money is spent outside of their state on tourism and just to get a bit of weed. I don't think it would be a huge industry but I do think many college kids and younger folks would go there for some weed. Either way it is 2012 and weed is still illegal, which is ridiculous.

I honestly don't know how I feel about a surplus of out of towners lol...i mean think about it...people come in to do their vices (in this case weed) fuck up shit, commit crimes and then go back home to their own towns lol..I'm not saying I won't vote for this, it just seems like there are a lot of things people are not thinking about...

Like does that open the door for large operations to start up? If so, Who gets a permit to start one of these operations? If most of the card carriers decide not to renew their cards, where do these folks get their pot? Can they sell it themselves? Can't they trade it? Etc etc

It just seems like everyone from the outside looking in wants this to pass so they can wait to see if the walls cave in...

Like joe rogan said," there are two kinds of people in this world, thinkers and feelers. If your a thinker and your not laughing about the cannabis situation, your fucking stupid!"

Originally Posted by farmerEd

I honestly don't know how I feel about a surplus of out of towners lol...i mean think about it...people come in to do their vices (in this case weed) fuck up shit, commit crimes and then go back home to their own towns lol..I'm not saying I won't vote for this, it just seems like there are a lot of things people are not thinking about...

Like does that open the door for large operations to start up? If so, Who gets a permit to start one of these operations? If most of the card carriers decide not to renew their cards, where do these folks get their pot? Can they sell it themselves? Can't they trade it? Etc etc

It just seems like everyone from the outside looking in wants this to pass so they can wait to see if the walls cave in...

I'm sorry guys, I have been supporting legalization, but I haven't considered everything. This could drastically change the tourism industry in Colorado. Instead of skiing and outdoors vacations, Colorado could be the Netherlands of the U.S. Do you think this could backfire on the existing tourism businesses or just add another attraction? I doubt it would hurt the ski industry, but what about summer family vacationers?

Originally Posted by farmerEd

I honestly don't know how I feel about a surplus of out of towners lol...i mean think about it...people come in to do their vices (in this case weed) fuck up shit, commit crimes and then go back home to their own towns lol..I'm not saying I won't vote for this, it just seems like there are a lot of things people are not thinking about...

Like does that open the door for large operations to start up? If so, Who gets a permit to start one of these operations? If most of the card carriers decide not to renew their cards, where do these folks get their pot? Can they sell it themselves? Can't they trade it? Etc etc

It just seems like everyone from the outside looking in wants this to pass so they can wait to see if the walls cave in...

I completely understand your concerns. But I would suggest you think about it as what will happen with more tourist dollars. Most people I know, and this is my experience, who use cannabis regularly are more well behaved then people who use alcohol regularly. I do think it would be a spring break destination for potheads in college as opposed to Miami or other tourist hot spots with beaches. But the concern you are voicing is a real one as it could make your state the North American version of Amsterdam. It would be interesting to see but I completely understand your concerns and apprehension about this.

As far as corporations taking over, that is a possibility. However I wonder if they will risk the wrath of the Federal government and the Department of Justice (DOJ). As the current administration has gone after banks which open accounts for dispensaries and businesses in the trade, will they go after these corporations with deep pockets and lobbyists? It would be a very negative PR move for the DOJ to target small growers and their operations versus a huge mega-corporation such as Phillip Morris. It would certainly make them look bad and draw more attention to Citizens United and the current national debate about moneyed interests using lobbyists and money to get their way.

As far as who gets a permit and the current MMJ users, I can't answer those questions as I am not as familiar with the current laws in Colorado or the upcoming law. But I do think current MMJ users would just be able to go down to the bud-store (it would be nice to see those) and just pick it up like some people do with over the counter medicines or alcohol. It should be legal to use for medical treatment or for recreation or both as you need it. I am sure there are people who take an occasional shot of liquor to calm the nerves or relieve some pain like toothaches, is it a medicine or a drug then? Can't it be both?

I would definitely agree with your last statement. It is an interesting social experiment. Will marijuana cause problems for society like alcohol does? In college when I lived next to potheads, I was much more content with my neighbors than the alcoholic neighbors I had in other apartments. If it is a success meaning that crime doesn't skyrocket or is lowered and that there is a nice little economic boon, it will be considered in other states. I am sure some of the more hard hit states like Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and other states that lost industry and tax dollars will consider the benefits of it as they will need the money. Pro-Weed folks will be hopeful that the walls don't cave in and that it proves what they have been saying all this time while Anti-Weed folks will use failure as a support for more anti-drug laws. The eyes of the nation will be watching Colorado if this passes.

To think about what might happen, I would suggest we look at Amsterdam and see what happened there after it was legalized. The same with other places where drugs have been decriminalized.

Originally Posted by cannawacky

I'm sorry guys, I have been supporting legalization, but I haven't considered everything. This could drastically change the tourism industry in Colorado. Instead of skiing and outdoors vacations, Colorado could be the Netherlands of the U.S. Do you think this could backfire on the existing tourism businesses or just add another attraction? I doubt it would hurt the ski industry, but what about summer family vacationers?

I don't think it will hurt any industry. People who want to travel to Colorado in the summer for vacation will regardless. California gets a lot of tourists and it has very lax laws in my opinion regarding marijuana versus other states. People still visit there. People are pretty basic when it comes to what they want. If I want to go to Colorado to fish and explore the beautiful outdoors found there, then I will whether weed is legal or not. The same with skiing. If I want a family vacation, then I will take one whether they allow weed or not.

Most people don't consider the laws of the state where they are visiting unless there is a reason to. For example hunting laws and gun laws are to be considered if you are going to hunt there. If you want to go and race cars around a track, you will consider the rules and laws they have regarding racing and other sports. The same thing with gambling, if you want to gamble then you will research the laws. I know that when my friends and I were younger, we learned that it was legal for us to gamble at the indian casinos in a neighboring state at age 18 versus our own state which required us to be 21. So we went to that state to gamble. Only if there is a compelling reason to need to know the law or for a specific reason, will people go there. Amsterdam is a tourist spot for many simply because it is legal to smoke there, but otherwise most people who have no interest in smoking don't make it a special place. Youngstown is a Mecca for baseball fans but it doesn't hold any significance for me as I don't really enjoy baseball. I suspect that it will be the same if weed is legalized in Colorado. Only those who are interested in it will make it a point to go there.

I just hope people in CO or WA are responsible enough to handle it -- because if people go out and booze it up and get high and start killing people on the roads or doing other stupid shit, that'll be the end of the legalization movement. I think we are going to have to worry less about the potheads and medical users than the everyday average newb who starts smoking because it's legal now. Those fuckers ain't got NO tolerance.

Originally Posted by Senseimilla

I just hope people in CO or WA are responsible enough to handle it -- because if people go out and booze it up and get high and start killing people on the roads or doing other stupid shit, that'll be the end of the legalization movement. I think we are going to have to worry less about the potheads and medical users than the everyday average newb who starts smoking because it's legal now. Those fuckers ain't got NO tolerance.

Thank you! That's exactly what I'm saying!! It's not the potheads I'm worried about...if you think people are going to fly into Colorado to just smoke, you're crazy...they're gonna come to party. I talk to many of my friends who still live in the south and I have to constantly explain the situation here...a lot of people are oblivious to our laws, most of them think weed is legal here already!

Originally Posted by farmerEd

Thank you! That's exactly what I'm saying!! It's not the potheads I'm worried about...if you think people are going to fly into Colorado to just smoke, you're crazy...they're gonna come to party. I talk to many of my friends who still live in the south and I have to constantly explain the situation here...a lot of people are oblivious to our laws, most of them think weed is legal here already!

I do agree that they will come to party and turn it into a tourist destination somewhat, but I expect that it will then become kind of a red light district thing such as in Amsterdam. People will be sent to one area of the town in order to party and it will be kind of contained. And I do think many people are ignorant to the laws.