Our current "war" on drugs applies only to the "lower" elements of our society, who are least able to defend themselves.

Couple that with the treatment that these people get (and by that I really mean "correctional" treatment, not medical treatment) and I think we are destroying much of our society. Not the dregs of society, either. Our "war on drugs" isn't so much chlorine in the gene pool. It's a rough and tumble segregation along class lines that does nothing to improve our society. Add any remaining family left around to cope with the correctional segregation and you're poisoning even more of our society. I am very heavy-hearted in my concern for the victims of our "war on drugs." Our prosecution of this "war" is clearly misguided or incompetent.

In my reporting days, I briefly experimented with stay-awake pills such as dexedrine, which were very close relatives to what we now know as meth. I never used them to get high, merely to stay awake and reasonably alert so that I could function at both my day job and my moonlighting -- and I cut them off cold turkey after becoming aware that the physical abuse they enabled was having bad effects on my health. Nevertheless, while I was using them, my source of supply was a friendly pharmacist (now deceased) who didn't require a prescription to dispense them, and who gave them to me at his cost.

I have no doubt that similar situations still exist, in addition to the physicians who write prescriptions in wholesale lots, and this is a large part of the reason that abuse of prescription drugs is one of our major drug problems today. If anyone in a position to do so would adopt the Edmondson-Cannon approach and fully enforce existing drug law, across the board but with emphasis on the movers and shakers involved, I think we would see a most significant shift in public opinion.

Of course, nothing is going to stop the hysterical from continuing to scream about "gateway drugs" -- but establishing and then enforcing prohibition rules against all physically addicting substances, specifically against tobacco, would go a long way toward drowning out their cries. (And I was a heavy smoker for 40 years; I was fortunate enough to escape physical addiction to it but did witness its effect on someone very close to my heart!)Your comments remind me of a lawyer who said if you really want to get something done about the state's drug laws, then launch drug raids against the sororities and fraternities of OSU and OU.

Absolutely! Actually Joe Cannon didn't even go that far in '58 and '59; he didn't have to as the raids on the high-society clubs and the roadblock searches on major highways at the state line did the job...

Selective enforcement doesn't work; it just perpetuates the status quo.

Here in Oregon we've had medical marijuana since 1998. It was instituted by initiative petition/ballot measure. A person may become a registered user by a doctors prescription. There are also registered growers who can grow for someone who is not physically able to grow their own. There are about 50,000 registered users in a state of about 3.8 million people.

It hasn't caused any great problems that I am aware except for some confusion on the part of law enforcement. Before arresting or raiding someone they have to check if a permit has been issued. It turns out you have a better chance of criminals breaking into your house looking for pot than the police if they( criminals ) know you're a user.

Having grown up in OKC in the 60's and 70's and observing the debate over the years what surprises me is that no clear consensus, either pro or con, has been reached. I would of thought some sort of conclusion would of been reached by now.

My guess is that more and more of the states will be begin to allow it's use and that it will likely begin with the medical marijuana. If enough states are allowing its usage, and perhaps taxing it, the federal government will have to eventually accommodate it in some way. The US Attorney in Oregon has issued reminders that it is still a violation of federal law, but they don't have the resources to deal with it.

As an aside, back around '75 or '76, my friends and I would go shooting at a range at Lake Stanley Draper. The woods there were full of a plant that sure looked like marijuana and sure smelled like it when it was burned. We thought we had hit the jackpot! Turns out it was just Locoweed. Absolutely worthless!

Finally, summer in Oregon. Always starts July 5th.

Mike

Probably a good thing the child didn't find grandma's pills, either -- just might've killed him.

Maynard you are correct. Cannabis is just going to make him sleep it off. If he had got a hold of his grandma's pills, most likely he would of had an early death. There is not one documented case of anyone OD'ing on Cannabis.

Maynard you are correct. Cannabis is just going to make him sleep it off. If he had got a hold of his grandma's pills, most likely he would of had an early death. There is not one documented case of anyone OD'ing on Cannabis.

... I bet he had a serious case of munchies too.

Finally, summer in Oregon. Always starts July 5th.

What part of Oregon are you in? I used to live in Tigard.

... I bet he had a serious case of munchies too.

Possibly, though he may not have been too concerned about it.

I support the decriminalization of cannabis but I'm not completely sold on legalization.

Here in Oregon we've had medical marijuana since 1998. It was instituted by initiative petition/ballot measure. A person may become a registered user by a doctors prescription. There are also registered growers who can grow for someone who is not physically able to grow their own. There are about 50,000 registered users in a state of about 3.8 million people.

It hasn't caused any great problems that I am aware except for some confusion on the part of law enforcement. Before arresting or raiding someone they have to check if a permit has been issued. It turns out you have a better chance of criminals breaking into your house looking for pot than the police if they( criminals ) know you're a user.

Having grown up in OKC in the 60's and 70's and observing the debate over the years what surprises me is that no clear consensus, either pro or con, has been reached. I would of thought some sort of conclusion would of been reached by now.

My guess is that more and more of the states will be begin to allow it's use and that it will likely begin with the medical marijuana. If enough states are allowing its usage, and perhaps taxing it, the federal government will have to eventually accommodate it in some way. The US Attorney in Oregon has issued reminders that it is still a violation of federal law, but they don't have the resources to deal with it.

As an aside, back around '75 or '76, my friends and I would go shooting at a range at Lake Stanley Draper. The woods there were full of a plant that sure looked like marijuana and sure smelled like it when it was burned. We thought we had hit the jackpot! Turns out it was just Locoweed. Absolutely worthless!

Finally, summer in Oregon. Always starts July 5th.

Mike


so 50k people in oregon could be arrested at any time by the feds

...observing the debate over the years what surprises me is that no clear consensus, either pro or con, has been reached. I would of thought some sort of conclusion would of been reached by now.

As is the case with many things. Taxation, education, religion, gay marriage, immigration, abortion...

maybe we should just replace all the medical marijuana with this http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/07/06/new-strain-in-pot-debate-highless-marijuana/

Looks like Arkansas got their signatures for the ballot initiative. They are counting and validating the signatures. I hope they succeed.


http://nwahomepage.com/fulltext?nxd_id=347122

So, maybe Shadid would love to see tobacco and alcohol banned.

He has already stated that he would like to see more restrictions on where you may smoke, I don't remember anything on alcohol offhand.

Where is the US Surgeon General on this? If the government legalizes pot, then a health warning will certainly be required on every baggie. That is, unless someone has proof that smoking pot ISN'T harmful to your health.

Where is the US Surgeon General on this? If the government legalizes pot, then a health warning will certainly be required on every baggie. That is, unless someone has proof that smoking pot ISN'T harmful to your health.

Not sure where USSG Benjamin is on marijuana (though she did approve funding for a needle exchange program).

Former USSG's:

sQ6qPyjaJzE


FcbM864s0Lo

I seem to recall Joycelyn Elders was relatively pot friendly, maybe just drugs in general, or is my assumption based on other positions she owned up to?

I support the decriminalization of cannabis but I'm not completely sold on legalization.

You think it should be decriminalized, i.e. not be illegal, but you're not really certain it should be legal?

I doubt decriminalization would work well, because people selling it would still be criminals. Legalization of marijuana should work like the way cigarettes and alcohol are sold.

The only downside I see is legalized pot could contribute to the obesity epidemic, what with all the late night taco runs and such.

The only downside I see is legalized pot could contribute to the obesity epidemic, what with all the late night taco runs and such.

Perhaps, but it'll stimulate the economy.

A lot of illegal things might stimulate the economy, but we still don't do them.

You think it should be decriminalized, i.e. not be illegal, but you're not really certain it should be legal?

I support a change to the prosecution of marijuana charges. For example, the Leno Bill in California reduces an offense of possession of less than an ounce to an infraction. I believe small amounts for personal use and even small plants for personal use should not carry penalties that lead to arrests, court appearances, or criminal records.



I doubt decriminalization would work well, because people selling it would still be criminals. Legalization of marijuana should work like the way cigarettes and alcohol are sold.

They are not all criminals. Sure, by definition they are considered criminals, but I don’t know a single dealer that is a real criminal. If enjoying medical or recreational use of cannabis is the only law breaking one is guilty of, then are they truly a criminal? Every morning when I drive to work and see many angry and overly aggressive driving, an act that kills thousands of people each year, I don’t consider the drivers criminals despite the fact they are breaking the law in a much more dangerous way and one that affects many other innocent people.

I agree that the legalization of marijuana has many economic and medical benefits but if we are to see a change one day then it will happen with a series of steps. There are many questions and fears surrounding the topic about the effects legalization will have on our society and we must first prove that the pros outweigh the cons. This will only happen with compromise. Ever tried to earn the trust of another person? It takes time and a series of small steps. For now the focus should be on decriminalization of cannabis to give advocates of legalized cannabis a chance to earn the trust of those opposed.

The call to end the drug war gets louder. Latin America and Mexico is tired of paying the price for failed policies in the U.S. Article from Forbes.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/dougbandow/2012/07/09/will-mexico-declare-peace-in-the-war-on-drugs-and-will-obama-let-them/

US News has another article.

http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/is-it-time-to-scale-back-the-war-on-drugs/marijuana-should-be-legalized-and-regulated

Hopefully someday soon the politicians will get it.

A lot of illegal things might stimulate the economy, but we still don't do them.


I suppose you like the status quo? With thinking like that, people would still be getting killed over boot legged alcohol. Prohibition didn't work in the 20's and it doesn't work today.

What part of Oregon are you in? I used to live in Tigard.


I live in the country south of Forest Grove. I used to live in Beaverton and I know Tigard fairly well. I don't know how long it's been since you lived there but it has grow so large it's almost unrecognizable.

Theoretically yes, they could be arrested for possession on a federal level, but it is more likely that people would be arrested for selling some larger quantity. The medical marijuana law has some "weird" quirks which I'll try and explain although I don't really understand all the details.

The marijuana cannot be sold. You can however, have someone grow it for you but you have to supply the seeds or plants. Where you get the seeds or plants has never really been explained. People can register as growers in order to grow for someone else. The amount you can grow and have on hand is limited. Well, it is likely the grower will have an excess amount on hand. What do they do with it? If they decide to sell it then that's where they would be likely to run afoul of the feds.

There are buyers clubs where people can pay a membership fee and receive marijuana. Many of these "clubs" have set up store fronts and have quite a selection to offer their "members".
Many communities have refused to allow siting permits or business licenses to these storefront operations and have cited the federal prohibition as the reason for doing so.

It's very interesting how this thing has evolved. It seems to have developed a life of it's own.

It looks like we'll have another legalization measure on the ballot this November if the petitions are approved.

When we moved to Oregon from OKC in 1976 we experienced significant culture shock. It's only been getting worse. Get me back to the south!

I suppose you like the status quo? With thinking like that, people would still be getting killed over boot legged alcohol. Prohibition didn't work in the 20's and it doesn't work today.

This

I live in the country south of Forest Grove. I used to live in Beaverton and I know Tigard fairly well. I don't know how long it's been since you lived there but it has grow so large it's almost unrecognizable.

I moved back to OKC in 2007, and visited in 2009, so I doubt it's changed considerably since then. That 'culture shock' you mention is, frankly, one of the things I miss most about living there. Moving back here was a shock for me, because I got so accustomed to the Portland lifestyle that I had forgotten what the experience was like living in a place like OKC. Wanna trade?

I moved back to OKC in 2007, and visited in 2009, so I doubt it's changed considerably since then. That 'culture shock' you mention is, frankly, one of the things I miss most about living there. Moving back here was a shock for me, because I got so accustomed to the Portland lifestyle that I had forgotten what the experience was like living in a place like OKC. Wanna trade?

Well, there is a reason they say the grass is always greener on the other side!

Really, though, there aren't many cities that are further apart from each other in terms of culture than OKC and Portland, Or. Believe me, the "Keep Portland Weird" bumper sticker is more than just an edgy sentiment! That being said, there are many aspects of Oklahoma culture which I just couldn't accept anymore either.

Both my wife's family and mine are here so I'll we here for a while longer.

never mind . . .

Massachusetts now joins Colorado, Washington, and Montana on the growing list of states voting on marijuana law reform measures this November. Supporters have also turned in signatures for a legalization initiative in Oregon and a medical marijuana initiative in Arkansas, but neither has yet heard back about their qualification status.

http://www.wickedlocal.com/wareham/topstories/x537697848/Massachusetts-voters-to-decide-medical-marijuana-other-ballot-questions#axzz20AjiyRFi

Very good article in today's Huffington Post.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-haase/dea-marijuana_b_1660526.html

By Dana Hertneky, News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -

Advocates for medical marijuana say they are finally making progress into
legalization here in Oklahoma. The head of the Oklahoma Senate has
approved a study into the issue.

Senator Constance Johnson says this is the first progress on the issue
since she first introduced it in 2006. She plans to call Doctors, experts,
patients and advocates to testify.

"There are a lot of people in Oklahoma who are interested in this issue
and they're finally getting a voice in the process," she said.

This is just an excerpt. Read and view more here.

http://www.news9.com/story/18994380/oklahoma-senate-leader-approves-study-into-medical-marijuana-legalization

Finally some progress here. Hope it will continue. Mark Woodward just needs to shut his piehole. He knows if Cannabis is legalized for recreational or medicinal use his job may just be endangered.

If we, as a society, don't really care who is actually, legally, and identifiably eligible to vote . . .
Then isn't the question of "the legalization of cannabis" a moot point?
Bumpersticker for the RedBulled/CellphoneAddled/For Freedom: "Just Do It . . . Don't Say No"
(Sorry . . . I was thinking of Abbie Hoffman . . . From Back in The Day. The Yippie Guy. Wrote a Book and Encourged Airhead Dupes to Steal It. =)

Oh! For the Historcal Referencely Challenged (a visual aid):
If you are stoned enough, this will probably make sense.
V9q2oiUG8eQ

Viva Che! Viva Marijuana! Viva Los Teaching de Don Juan de Castenada!
(yeah, right. people aren't already getting stupider at a fast enough rate)

By Dana Hertneky, News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -

Advocates for medical marijuana say they are finally making progress into
legalization here in Oklahoma. The head of the Oklahoma Senate has
approved a study into the issue.

Senator Constance Johnson says this is the first progress on the issue
since she first introduced it in 2006. She plans to call Doctors, experts,
patients and advocates to testify.

"There are a lot of people in Oklahoma who are interested in this issue
and they're finally getting a voice in the process," she said.

This is just an excerpt. Read and view more here.

http://www.news9.com/story/18994380/oklahoma-senate-leader-approves-study-into-medical-marijuana-legalization

Finally some progress here. Hope it will continue. Mark Woodward just needs to shut his piehole. He knows if Cannabis is legalized for recreational or medicinal use his job may just be endangered.

Maybe Woodward hasn't seen this pitiful video.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEveeouWJ_Y

---
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---
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Finally some progress here. Hope it will continue. Mark Woodward just needs to shut his piehole. He knows if Cannabis is legalized for recreational or medicinal use his job may just be endangered.



TLO fans:

The Lost Ogle - 10 reasons why medical marijuana should be legal in Oklahoma (http://www.thelostogle.com/)

...first of all, let me respond to Captain Mark Wood[fudg]er. Of course you don't want medical marijuana to be legalized! You're a bully who works for Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics! You're a fun-hater who makes a living by trying to arrest people who want to relieve stress, enjoy life and not feel ashamed about eating a king size bag of peanut M&M's while watching Super Troopers...

There is a group of law enforcement types, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). Not saying the group has a presence in Oklahoma.

It's official Oregonians will vote on legalization this fall.

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/07/marijuana_legalization_measure.html

I believe it should be legal.

I say tax it heavily, regulate it heavily and lets put that money to fix our schools and roads. We can shut down a few prisons in the process, if you release all the pot-offenders.

I can brew my own beer, but I dont.
I can grow my own tobacco, but I dont.

If I want those items, I go to the store. Make it the same with marijuana. Tax it at the grower level, every bag gets a tax stamp. If a dispensary wants to sell "untaxed" marijuana, fine them heavily.

Issue resolved.

Since this forum can sometimes be a brain trust, lets try this.. whats are the cause and effects of legalizing, from local crime and prison retention to the effects on the cartels and "war on drugs".

Here's a look at the three legalization initiatives in Colorado, Washington State and Oregon.

http://nationalcannabiscoalition.com/2012/07/comparing-marijuana-legalization-measures-in-oregon-colorado-and-washington-state/

It sure has worked in Portugal. Maybe it could work here too.

http://www.businessinsider.com/portugal-drug-policy-decriminalization-works-2012-7#ixzz20tp4Gctj

Senator Constance Johnson and Senator Brian Crain are meeting on 7/28/12 @ 4 P.M. @ the Capitol, to discuss input on what is to be covered, time line, etc to determine a hearing for Medical Cannabis. We will see if Senator Crain does not try to block this.

Prediction is - Do Not Pass by whatever committee it is assigned, and that's being charitable.

I wouldn't lay money on it even being heard in a committee. Keep in mind our R's are rather conservative, to put it mildly. Even a fair number of our D's are more conservative than a passle of R folks elsewhere in the nation.

"Unintended consequences"


Courthouse News Service - Deputies Beat Him for 'Amusement,' Man Says - July 18, 2012 (http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/07/18/48480.htm)


http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/07/18/fun-park-amusement.jpg

SAVANNAH, Ga. (CN) - Sheriff's deputies deactivated a device that controls a man's Tourette's syndrome and beat him as "a form of amusement" when he could no longer control his physical and verbal actions, the man claims in court. Charles Ray sued Chatham County Sheriff Al St. Lawrence and jail official Floyd Jackson, in Chatham County State Court. Ray, 34, suffers from Tourette's syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes uncontrollable tics and may cause obscene outbursts. He suffers from other physiological disorders as well, according to the complaint. Ray was arrested in July 2010 on drug possession charges and taken to the Chatham County jail.

At the jail, he says, deputies made him pass through a metal detector that shut down his deep brain stimulator, a battery-operated device that controls his Tourette's symptoms. "Upon being transported to his cell, plaintiff advised the sheriff's deputies which were escorting him that he should not go through the scanning device as it would affect the batteries in his Tourette's device and render it useless," the complaint states. "The deputies did not heed plaintiff's warning and forced him to go through the scanning device, which in fact did turn off his Tourette's device and cause the symptoms of Tourette's to evidence themselves, including jerking of his arms and legs, facial tics, and other neurological actions which evidenced a lack of control on plaintiff's part."

Ray says he warned the deputies that he could not control himself without the device and his medication, but they ignored him. He says the deputies denied him medication and made no effort to reactivate his device. "After the metal detector turned the battery off that charged the electrodes for the brain mapping, the plaintiff could not control his physical and verbal actions and the deputies ignored his protestations, and when he failed to control himself, he was beaten," the complaint states. "He was tied to a chair and made to stay there for hours without benefit of food, water or bathroom privileges. While abusing the plaintiff by beating him and kicking him, the deputies considered it a form of amusement and laughed at his protestations.

"The defendant's deputies, including Officer Floyd Jackson, head of the mental ward, sought to cover up their action by writing false reports that laid the blame on plaintiff, contending that he beat himself against the wall, thereby causing his many injuries." Ray says he suffered physical injuries and severe emotional trauma. He seeks damages for negligence and infliction of emotional distress. He is represented by Julian Toporek and Richard Darden. "The lawsuit is under review by our legal department and the internal affairs unit," Chief Deputy Roy Harris told Courthouse News in an interview. "We are aware of the lawsuit and are taking steps to address it."

Senator Constance Johnson and Senator Brian Crain are meeting on 7/28/12 @ 4 P.M. @ the Capitol, to discuss input on what is to be covered, time line, etc to determine a hearing for Medical Cannabis. We will see if Senator Crain does not try to block this.

I don't see why Crain would stop it, he seems to be for smoking as he was the one responsible for not hearing the bill that would allow cities to enact tougher public smoking bans

So it passed in Washington and Colorado... show of hands, how many of you are going "skiing" in Colorado this winter? lol

So it passed in Washington and Colorado... show of hands, how many of you are going "skiing" in Colorado this winter? lol

Me! But I actually go to Crested Butte every year anyways. I honestly see CO and WA (mostly CO) getting some serious tourism dollars because of this. I picture ski trips over christmas and spring breaks getting a little more popular with the college crowd.

The passing of this bill does seem to be a bit of a formality though, as I have seen and smelled pot being smoked a number of times on my travels to CO. I even had a guy one time pull out his pipe and have a smoke on a quad ski lift with me 3 seats away! He did it so nonchalantly that if someone didnt know any better, they wouldnt have even noticed.

Yeah it was the same thing at Breckenridge a few years ago. Hopefully everything goes smoothly and people around here realize decriminalization isn't the end of the world!

I wonder how many HiPos will now be setting up in the panhandle to catch motorist coming back into the state from colorado with their herbal supplements.

I've lived in Oklahoma for almost 13 years now and i've defended this place and highlighted some of the pros that most outside of the state have no knowledge of. But it's an absolute embarrassement, just how draconian some of the laws here are with regards to marijuana. Sadly, as the rest of the nation is finally starting to realize that Reefer Madness was the worst sort of propaganda that ignorance and fear mongering can produce, Oklahoma just last year passed laws about hash and paraphernalia that show our politicians are still drinking the "dangerous gateway drug" kool-aid.

Having had my home state over run with Yankees and their Yankee attitudes, ideas, and constant complaints about the way things are, i know that an outsiders view is usually one met with a simple and usually deserved, "If you don't like it then go back to where you came from". And i'm all for states rights and state pride in being different from the rest and not changing to please the masses that exist outside your borders. But with that said, cities will dry up and blow away if they dont move forward even if they do so taking baby steps. I'm not a proponent of big changes all at once that upset the masses but please the minority. But it's time to have the discussion at least about medicinal use and to do so with respect for the facts and honesty about why it is that some continue to hold tight to the myths of marijuana that have been proven to be just that.

Possible life sentence for hash, making brownies, using a grinder? Really? Is this 2012?


SECTION 1. AMENDATORY <63> O.S. 2001, Section <2-509>, is amended to read as follows: …

D. Knowingly violating the provisions of subsection B or subsection H of this section is hereby declared, as to the owner, or person in possession of such lands, to be a felony and punishable as such by a fine not to exceed Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) and imprisonment in the State Penitentiary custody of the Department of Corrections for not less than two (2) years nor more than life. The fine provided for in this subsection shall be in addition to other punishments provided by law and shall not be in lieu of other punishment. Any person convicted of a second or subsequent violation of subsection B or subsection H of this section is punishable by a term of imprisonment twice that otherwise authorized and by twice the fine otherwise authorized. Any sentence shall not be subject to statutory provisions for suspended sentences, deferred sentences, or probation, except when the conviction is for a first offense. …

H. Except as authorized by the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act, it shall be unlawful for any person to manufacture or attempt to manufacture any controlled dangerous substance by cooking, burning, or extracting and converting or attempting to extract and convert marihuana or marihuana oil into hashish, hashish oil or hashish powder.

So if you get convicted of making hash the first time around and didn't get life in prison, then you can get up to two life times in prison for the second offense. Punishment of more than one life time in prison shouldn't make any sense to the average rational person of sound mind. I wonder if Oklahoma law is this clear on offering multiple life times in prison for repeat child molesters and rapists?

There's obviously a great deal of vindictiveness in Oklahoma toward people who use marijuana. It seems it's even more intense than that directed toward child molesters and rapists. If you molest a child between age 12 and 15, if I'm right, the punishment is only ZERO to 5 years in prison!

I don't see why Crain would stop it, he seems to be for smoking as he was the one responsible for not hearing the bill that would allow cities to enact tougher public smoking bans

Crain has decided not to allow a study session at the State Capitol for medical marijuana. Maybe he doesn't want to hear complaints from Okies addicted to the nonsense of Reefer Madness, if he had done so. Ironically enough, Alabama, which many people feel is an even more backward state than Oklahoma, will be holding a public hearing next week in the Alabama State House on the medicinal use of cannabis. The hearing won't be specifically about House Bill 2, a bill that will be before the January session of the Alabama Legislature which would legalize medical marijuana. The hearing is, however, a chance for medicinal cannabis proponents to educate legislators about the medical benefits of the herb. It's too bad tha too many Oklahoma Republican state legislators are closed minded to being enlightened about what medical marijuana is good for.

OKC Heel, what is HiPos?

Drivers in Oklahoma should be mindful of the laws here, before they get pulled over for burned-out tail lights, speeding, reckless driving, expired tags. DUH!

Hello, you're not in Colorado anymore ...

OKC Heel, what is HiPos?

Drivers in Oklahoma should be mindful of the laws here, before they get pulled over for burned-out tail lights, speeding, reckless driving, expired tags. DUH!

Hello, you're not in Colorado anymore ...

I AM in Colorado and my opinion on the passage of the pot law is that if it is the will of the people, then, huraah!! The medical pot law we had was nothing but a sham for legalized pot anyway. I'd prefer to see it stay illegal but if the people want it, then get it out in the open. Next point of order, if it is illegal according to fed law, can the state law be valid?

I think some simple questions need to be asked like for instance.... 1.Will the crime rate go up with legalizing weed ...I think not (but I could be wrong).. 2. People say weed leeds to other drugs and at this point it is true. My theory behind that is you have to go get weed from drugs dealers and usually ones that are in a bigger market than just selling weed. If say for instance weed was legalized you could go to a dispensary and get some from people that stay within the law and make good profit from it. So, they wouldn't have to go sell "other" products to maximize their profits. 3. What about tax revenue? Tax the piss out of it. Could be a serious money maker. Also could draw tourism since majority of states don't allow marijuana anyways.

So if the demand is there than the cartels will keep supplying I still think they will keep coming for other drugs but it would really put a dent in there share of the "market". Now, I would not recommend someone to smoke pot just as I would not recommend cigarets. There are studies that prove long term usage of pot can lead to a decrease in motor skills and intelligence. But I do support legalizing it because I think this is classic case of when the benefits out weigh the negatives.

I know some people who smoke pot or drink, no interest in any other kind of drug, they are successful, professional people. An addictive tendency will lead you to other other or deepening addictions. Most of the drug addicts that I have known started out on alcohol before moving to pot, then onto other drugs.

I've never tried it but I supported Amendment 64. My only "contact" with marijuana is the smoke inside the arena at concerts in the 80's. I remember huge clouds under the roofs at the Lloyd Noble, Myriad and Fairgrounds Arena back then. The reasons why marijuana is illegal due more to lobbyists and politics than anything else.

I've been doing some research on this that leads me to believe Oklahoma will be one of the last states in the union to legalize, mostly because of the referendum requirements. In Colorado, the signatures required to get a measure on the ballot is only 5% of voter turnout from the last major election (link (http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Colorado_signature_requirements)). Here it is 15% for an ammendment (link (http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Oklahoma_signature_requirements)). So it would be much harder to get a marijuana measure on the ballot, much less get it passed. And this website says (http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/I/IN025.html)
Fewer than twenty citizen referenda have been placed on the ballot, and only four have won.
On the upside, Arkansas just came within 2 percentage points of passing medical marijuana (http://arkansasmatters.com/fulltext?nxd_id=604862), so we could be bordered by two pro-pot states in the near future.

The two party system makes it hard to get anything on the ballot in Oklahoma, legislators don't want competition at the polls from third party candidates and they don't want the public introducing legislation without the proper inducements being paid to the right people.

The threshold is much lower here, after all, we had 17 different candidates running for president on the ballot here. I know that Texas has a pretty restrictive petition process to get on the ballot as well. I would imagine legislative petitions are similar.

I think some simple questions need to be asked like for instance.... 1.Will the crime rate go up with legalizing weed ...I think not (but I could be wrong)..

Why would having less laws lead to more crime? Legalize burglary, rape, and murder and we could wipe out violent crime. And no, I am not equating those to pot. I'm just making the point that fewer laws leads to fewer crimes. However, maybe Oklahoma would be better off seeing how things go in Washington and Colorado first - just to be safe.

From 2006

USATODAY.com - Some skeptical of Mexico's relaxed anti-drug law (http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/travel/news/2006-04-30-drug-bill_x.htm)


Some skeptical of Mexico's relaxed anti-drug law
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) — Police and business owners from Mexico's beaches to border cities worried Sunday that a measure passed to decriminalize possession of cocaine, heroin and other drugs could attract droves of tourists solely looking to get high.


Who would have thought that decision would lead to 50,000 ultra-violent deaths in Mexico as drug cartels try to supply the market.