Legalizing marijuana

I'm amazed by the numbers of professionals I know who use it. I'm leaning towards voting for the measure, mostly so people don't ruin their lives getting busted for buying or selling it.

lol...and once people get to be a certain age, being an alkie or drunkard becomes an exercise in cirrhosis of the liver. Pick your poison.

Unintended Consequences
********quote********
California voters will decide Nov. 8 whether to legalize marijuana for recreational use — an issue that has sown deep division here among longtime growers. The Costas and many fellow pot farmers have yearned for the legitimacy and respectability that could be bestowed by legalization. But they also fear Proposition 64 will bring costly regulations and taxes and could put them out of business if corporate interests and big farms take over.

“It will end traditional marijuana farming like this,” said Laura Costa, sitting in the middle of one of four 40-plant gardens, puffing on a glass pipe. “It will end our way of life.”

There is no evidence that Wall Street corporations are eyeing California if Proposition 64 takes effect on Jan. 1, 2018. The two biggest U.S. tobacco companies — Altria and R.J. Reynolds — say they have no plans to jump into the marijuana market.
Nonetheless, Costa and others said, it’s only a matter of time before other brands such as those named for singer Willie Nelson and comedians Cheech and Chong move in, upending a tight-knit community accustomed to doing business on its own terms.
Christine Miller is concerned about the impact on her 250-plant farm in Benbow. “It’s going to cost me way more to operate,” she said. “I can’t afford it.”
For the first time, Miller said, she has retained a lawyer and an accountant to help wade through the potential regulatory issues and taxes.
*****endquote********
Ref: The Cannabist

So, if marijuana is legalized it will also be regulated and taxed to pay for the regulation. The small-time growers fear the Big Guys will eventually dominate because of the natural economies of scale , . . . especially pertaining to such things as taxes and legal fees.
If so a bit, or maybe a lot of the community feeling among growers and users will die, as Big Business takes over.
Hey, . . . that's life.

For the record poor old DonDiego is agnostic on the issue.

As a wise man once said: "Some adults want to smoke Marijuana. Some adults want to drink booze. Some adults want to smoke cigarettes." alanleroyII, 30 October 2016.
DonDiego does not smoke, . . . does ingest beer, liquor, and wine, but seldom to excess - very, very seldom, . . . does not involve himself in any recreational drugs, . . . and has no interest in marijuana.

Adopting the libertarian view, DonDiego would opine that the Government should be less intrusive overall and let folks do as they please so long as they don't harm others.
So far as he knows there's no ballot issue in his State of Residence so he's not voting anyway.

Is DondeEgo anti capitalism now? Its so nice of him to look out for the little people.
As long as its illegal on the national level, no large corporation will touch the stuff

That is exactly how I feel about the issue. Everybody should be able to pick their own poison. Some people are addicted to alcohol, some to food and some to gambling. None of those things are banned. It seems kind of odd to have plants that are forbidden by the Federal government such as marijuana and coca leaves.

anti-capitalism ? ? ?
DonDiego doesn't know how billryan reached such a conclusion. DonDiego's clearly stated position was " . . . the Government should be less intrusive overall and let folks do as they please so long as they don't harm others."

That poor old DonDiego reports the recognition by the current members of the "cottage marijuana industry in California" that their operations are likely to be difficult to maintain if/when Big Business enters the arena is not intended as either an endorsement or opposition to their observation.
DonDiego supposes the recognition is correct, but he doesn't care. It's none of his business.

i. DonDiego is agnostic on the question of legalization or not. DonDiego doesn't smoke anything. DonDiego doesn't care if others do smoke anything. If it were on his ballot, he'd abstain.
ii. DonDiego fails to see how the term "anti-capitalism" applies to anything which he wrote.
iii. Let the market determine the winners and losers. As DonDiego stated: " . . . that's life."

That is absolutely true, as I described in my earlier post about legal MJ in Colorado.

I think the concerns of California growers, should recreational MJ become legal there, would be better focused on developing more potent strains and looking for business partners to turn their harvests into edible products. The average price for an eighth of an ounce here is $30 if you want to smoke the stuff. There are also a large variety of edible products available if you don't want to smoke it.

An approval may be very frustrating for tourists. Most hotels are non-smoking and it will likely be difficult to find anywhere public to light up.

Hotel rooms are non-smoking because that's where the demand is. If tourists start wanting smoking rooms, the casinos will book them. Much like they caved in to the public's demand for 6-5 blackjack and resort fees.

I have heard there are other options than lighting up in public. Like Vaping or Edibles.