Thinking about the weed

[Fluff and Stuff]

Bingo, Citizen.

It seems to be doing ok in ME.

[dalebert]

If enough people in one local were willing to get arrested for a silly infraction like possession, it's just a matter of numbers before you reach critical mass-- the point at which it becomes nearly impossible to jail them all and at the very least, very expensive. The more public the arrests the better. The will just isn't there like it used to be. The education campaign has been there but it's not sinking in. I think something like that would make it blatantly obvious.

[Minsk]

... the point at which it becomes nearly impossible to jail them all and at the very least, very expensive. ...

I now have a picture in my head of a completely empty town, with a tumbleweed blowing down the street. As you walk into town you see signs on the doors of all the businesses "Closed: in jail for cannabis posession, back Oct 12".

[Kat Kanning]

Oooh...can anyone draw?

[aries]

Matt, forget allowing the state to dole out ANY penalties.  We should push for the principled approach:

The state gets out of the drug business, period.  Let the compromise be made from there.

Can you imagine the fate of a bill to totally repeal the state's marijuana laws?

Within 30 seconds of being submitted it'd be unanimously ITL.

At least semi-decriminalization might get 2-3 votes in favor and a few minutes of debate before being killed.

A medical use bill could even make it to the senate before meeting its demise.

[maineiac]

Bingo, Citizen.

It seems to be doing ok in ME.

Doing ok in ME?

Oh, you mean bingo!!

[Dottie]

What people do with their lives is their own business, but when it affects me, it becomes my business.

[FTL_Ian]

Can you imagine the fate of a bill to totally repeal the state's marijuana laws?

Within 30 seconds of being submitted it'd be unanimously ITL.

At least semi-decriminalization might get 2-3 votes in favor and a few minutes of debate before being killed.

A medical use bill could even make it to the senate before meeting its demise.

You wouldn't even get a chance to explain the benefits?  That's pretty lame.  Guess I don't know much about the people in office.  They sound really close minded.

I would just hate for NH to get mired down by the medipot debate.

Here's what medipot has gotten CA:

-Clinics being raided by DEA (money and pot stolen, no charges)
-Doctors being harassed and threatened
-Patients expected to prove themselves to cops
-Continued harassment of recreational users

I don't see any reason why you couldn't find Representative allies on full deregulation.  Especially if there was an active CD campaign afoot.

[d_goddard]

A medical use bill could even make it to the senate before meeting its demise.

You wouldn't even get a chance to explain the benefits?

Three points:

1. YES, any House Rep can bring any bill up for floor debate. Reps can then get up and say ANYTHING THEY WANT. Heck, that's how Kurk got the "no-Real-ID" bill out of ITL and got it to pass by a landslide: with a great speech.

2. Rep. Welch, chairman of the House Judicial committee, is on record saying he'd back a law legalizing "personal-use" amounts of MJ. That makes it a no-brainer: even if it has only a small chance of getting past the Senate, THIS is the law to push!

3. The Senate is likely to be slightly more Democrat, and hence more pro-MJ, next session. MOBILIZING PEOPLE is indeed the key, as Ian and others are saying. If the Senate gets massively inundated with polite but firm emails, letters, and phone calls... we just might be able to do this....

[John]

More Fully Informed Juries would be a big help to.
NH has a LOT of people who not only like weed - but use it regularly.

A Jury Nulification bill came pretty close to passing a few years back . . .

[earthhaven]

NH has a LOT of people who not only like weed - but use it regularly.

High Times listed NH as one of the top states for consumption of weed per capita. The problem I see is that most people who smoke pot are able to do it with relatively no problem so they are not motivated to get active and help push for legalization. Many people don't want to get involved with CD because they have jobs which would not be happy about that. I have one job that would fire me if they found out I smoked pot and one job that allows me to smoke at work.

I've smoked with teachers, security guards, and doctors, none of whom would ever be willing to admit it in public, such as at a rally at the head of the square. I on the other hand would not mind getting fired if it was for a good cause .

[maineiac]

More Fully Informed Juries would be a big help to.
NH has a LOT of people who not only like weed - but use it regularly.

A Jury Nulification bill came pretty close to passing a few years back . . .

Jury nullification bill? I'm fairly certain jury nullification is sanctioned in the Zenger Case, of course, I could be wrong!