Legalizing recreational use of pot in CO

Mooradian said:
Since we have a Supremacy Clause, Article 6 of the US Constitution if I am not mistaken, technically someone could smoke pot and be fine around local police in CO but could still be arrested by Federal agents since the federal ruling that Marijuana is illegal reigns supreme over a state ruling.
Click to expand...

The way I understand it yes this is true. What I don't get and what I'm sure one of the lawyer types on here can educate us on is how can Colorado collect taxes on something that is illegal federally? Isn't there something out there about having gains on illegal activity? I don't think RICO applies because that's interstate related but I'm not sure.

Hornet:

Thanks for the link. As you can tell I'm very interested in this topic and it's sad to say that I only had a cursory interest in the past since I thought it would never pass.

Lynpar:

Thanks for the Rocky Mountain High made me laugh:thumb:

Also I think the mods should move this to news or off topic area not really an AFA specific issue to me.
 
Last edited:
fencersmother said:
hahahaha! FritoLay! that's hilarious!

Just a note to MDAnderson: well sure, drinking a beer doesn't necessarily mean that one will end up a wino living under a bridge, cradling one's last few drops of MD2020. However, if one does not imbibe in marijuana EVER, it's pretty clear that one will also not be using meth, speed, cocaine, or heroin. In that regard, marijuana is indeed a gateway drug and I would put it to you that hard drug abusers almost always start with marijuana or other drugs easily obtained in the gas station parking lot.

This mother is very grateful that drug abuse was not an issue she had to deal with.
Click to expand...

I am very sad that you truly believe it to be a gateway drug. The reason why a "gateway" effect happens is because you have a blending of the hard and soft drug markets. If your views are congruent and non-biased then you would also agree that cigarettes and the nicotine high produced from initially partaking are a gateway drug that will lead to other drug habits. If it was legalized and sold in say a gas station, there would be no gateway effect created. What happens is when you go to your dealer for weed they say "hey ive got this stuff thats 10x stronger." Thus, it is NOT the substance producing a gateway, but the market created through its prohibition in the first place. I will never be partaking, but viewing it rationally I feel is necessary.
 
Lynpar said:
Eli Lilly is not happy about this. :wink:

Drive by pillow fight? Never heard of one.

I predict a bumper crop for marketing whizzes who can turn a phrase.

One slight problem is it isn't as funny if you are not.........you know.:rolleyes:

Rocky Mountain High. ( I have been dying to say that for days, cliche' I know:redface:)
Click to expand...

AWESOME! :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
 
"First hit's free," and all that? I am reminded of what my dear friend told me at her brother's funeral when we were in high school: "Why do you think they call it dope?"

Thanks for the pertinent info Hornet. Wow, it's a ton of writing and will take me some time to weed through.

Probably not a USAFA topic, agreed.
 
Lynpar said:
Drive by pillow fight? Never heard of one. ( old Sinbad line from the 80's).
However I think lack of ambition is a likely consequence. Video game manufacturers will have a whole new avenue of trippy visuals to add to games.
Smoking is smoking, it can't be good for you.
Click to expand...

As a video game manufacturer I contemplate that remark...:scratch:
 
Boozebin said:
The way I understand it yes this is true. What I don't get and what I'm sure one of the lawyer types on here can educate us on is how can Colorado collect taxes on something that is illegal federally? Isn't there something out there about having gains on illegal activity? I don't think RICO applies because that's interstate related but I'm not sure.
Click to expand...

I am not a lawyer, but I believe you are required to pay taxes on any financial transaction, whether legal or not. Here is the turbo tax website that discusses it. I think they might have gotten Al Capone that way, too. I think that implies that states can collect taxes on any activity without having to worry about the legality of the activity, but a lawyer would have to delve into that.
 
I recommend that any candidate who wants to go to a service academy not use marijuana. I believe drug use is still covered on the DoDMERB history form, DD2492.
 
I had to laugh watching the different news networks over the past couple days. Almost all of them started their stories with "Colorado Legalizes Pot"

I know I live in the far unknown nether regions of the Pacific Northwest, but you would think at least a couple of them would know to report that Washington also passed the same measure, even the posts on this board seem to forget we all exist way up here.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't for the measure and quite frankly a little happy we are being over looked.

The Measure takes effect in Washington on Dec. 6, 2012, Pot will be legal for one ounce starting that date, of course until they figure out how to set up the stores it will still be illegal to purchase Pot, figure that one out. Washington plans to lisence stores, similar to liquor stores to sell Pot an ounce at a time. Washington has set a limit to be determined by a blood test for the levels that would cause a person to be charged with driving under the influence, it will carry the same penalties as an alcohol DUI.

The King County Sherrif was speaking today and stated that starting on Dec. 6th they will no longer make any arrests for the amount of one ounce or below. He did say that if stopped by a DEA or Federal Agent, the person could still be arrested. It's going to be fun to watch how that will play out.

The main campaign message here was that the state will bring in nearly 500M in tax Revenue and they will get the Pot out of the dealers hands. I had to laugh at that one. All this will do is drive the price down charged by the dealers, if an ounce costs X amount of dollars at a State run store, the dealers will just charge less.

Funny what happens sometimes when the masses vote.
 
We were talking about the election and all on Wednesday in one of my classes when someone brought up about it, and we talked about how it`s still federally illegal, so it`s kind of ridiculous. My English teacher was in the Army, and that was the class we discussed it in, so she was saying how it`ll be really stupid for anyone currently serving (or a future person who wishes to serve) to use it, since it`s still federally illegal, and UCMJ is federal and all.

Even if it was federally legal, I`d never use drugs. Really dumb decision for people to make, IMPO.
 
it`ll be really stupid for anyone currently serving (or a future person who wishes to serve) to use it, since it`s still federally illegal, and UCMJ is federal and all.
Click to expand...

I 100% agree.

The ball is in the Feds hands right now on how they proceed with these new state laws, they have the option to do nothing, or possibly file a lawsuit to get it overturned, we'll just have to wait and see. Right now, Washington is proceeding as if the new law will stand.

Washington also passed a new "Same Sex Marriage" Law. You can't believe how many military personel here have asked now that it is legal in Washington, can my spouse get benefits. The same problem exists, the Feds are still under the Defense of Marriage Act, these new married couples still can't file a joint tax return, claim a spouse, receive military benefits.

As more states continue to pass laws that are contrary to federal laws, things will get very interesting.
 
This has been a big issue with "spice." It is not illegal in many states. It is not permitted in the military. Quite a few mids and cadets have been separated for using or distributing spice.
 
Its not really as bad of a situation as you think. You've been misinformed, most Marijuana users stay at that. It is going to be the same as Alcohol, cadets are probably still not going to be able to use it.
 
Not probably, definitely. DoD policy and the UCMJ don't change just because CO voters think pot is ok.
 
Looking at this from a Federal vs. State enforcement issue, we know that the Fed doesn't have the resources to enforce the small-time use infractions and with states bailing out on enforcement all together, it leaves a huge hole for personal use and production of cannabis.

And congress is probably not inclined to do something about this. One party has a significant component that is behind legalization and the other party won't take money away from states who don't help with federal issues and also has a contingent that doesn't like overbearing government.

And quite frankly I think a lot of folks in DC are smoking the stuff themselves because they can't seem to figure out the math to get us away from the fiscal cliff.

I think this is the beginning of the slide down a slippery slope. The politics are not aligned to stop this.
 
goaliedad said:
And quite frankly I think a lot of folks in DC are smoking the stuff themselves because they can't seem to figure out the math to get us away from the fiscal cliff.
Click to expand...
I think they are definitely smoking something that clouds their judgement. The only math they are worried about is the math that helps improve their party's position of power. Lack of judgement and lack of integrity.
 
Packer,

Couldn't agree with you more on both of your comments.

Your right, sometimes it's not bad to be overlooked.
 
The rules regarding drug usage in the military wouldn't change due to this ballot initiative. The military already has more strict drug rules and things such as random drug testing that isn't generally done in the private sector.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top