Marijuana legalization poll

[Bald Eagle]

Do you think Marijuana should be legal for medicinal purposes in all 50 states?
  Agree
  Disagree
  Indifferent

http://www.itsyouropinion1.com/?id=20379&sitebounce=1

[FTL_Ian]

They sure do want a lot of an identifying information... I think I'll pass.

[d_goddard]

Heads up: a "personal-use" decriminalization bill is expected to be introduced in the NH House in 2008.
The bill would make a small amount of MJ into a civil offence with a small fine (like a parking ticket), rather than a Class B felony, as it now is.
The exact amounts (of MJ and fine) are undefined at this point; the primary calculation is what amounts will make the law more likely to pass (ie, I'd like to see 2 1/2 oz be called "personal use" like they have in Maine, but no way that would pass the House in its current composition. And no, Dems aren't going to ensure any victories on this score)

That said, I'd give the notional bill about a 45% chance of success. Whether it passes or not is going to depend 100% on the amount that people are willing to make calls to the Reps, write LTEs, distribute handbills, etc.   

[Fragilityh14]

100 percent in favor of complete legalization

I am not in general in favor of regulation of any product, but in the sense that the government regulates everything, i would rather add it to the list of a long line of things they regulate, then fight the concept in general, because it's a huge leap forward vs. paying taxes so the government can try to arrest you for paying inflated prices.

[d_goddard]

Fragility, and anyone else who wants to help the MJ legalization movement in NH, I suggest you check out:

http://nhcommonsense.org/
http://sendtherightmessage.com/
http://reschedulecannabis.org/

[FTL_Ian]

I predict civil disobedience will come on this issue someday...

[error]

I predict civil disobedience will come on this issue someday...

300 people on the State House lawn smoking up, for instance?

[FTL_Ian]

I predict civil disobedience will come on this issue someday...

300 people on the State House lawn smoking up, for instance?

I would do it with 30.   

[Fragilityh14]

I predict civil disobedience will come on this issue someday...

300 people on the State House lawn smoking up, for instance?

once I am there I will be on the forefront of smoking up on the State House lawn.

or other places

[error]

They had about 300 in Wisconsin smoking up right in front of the state capitol -- and the capitol police. Not a single soul was arrested.

[d_goddard]

They had about 300 in Wisconsin smoking up right in front of the state capitol -- and the capitol police. Not a single soul was arrested.

... but the laws didn't get changed, either.
For the record, I was one of those people, every year for 5 years, back in my college days at UW-Madison. 15 years on... not a damn thing has changed.
In Wisconsin, possession of marijuana is still(!) punishable by six months in jail and/or a fine of $1,000 for the first offense. Almost as bad as the NH laws! (in NH it's 1 year in jail instead of 6 months)

I predict civil disobedience will come on this issue someday...

I have a request.
Please, don't plan any such CD until after the upcoming decrim bill is either killed, or signed by the governor.

We need to make the Reps feel comfortable with decrim: most importantly, they need to feel that this move is very small, not at all radical or controversial, and not viewed as an "endorsement for people to do drugs"
Even 1 articulate, "normal-looking" person smoking pot, peacefully, in an effort to show how good an idea the law is, pretty much guarantees the brainwashed among the Reps will react with illogical, misplaced terror: "Oh my god! If we pass this law, everyone will be stoned! It will be *anarchy!*"

Instead, to have any shot at decriminalization, we'll need hundreds (and I mean, MANY hundreds) of phone calls by "ordinary" people to their Reps... people who are not calling because they smoke themselves, but rather because they don't want to waste police time, don't want to saddle young people with a felony conviction for a minor lapse of judgement, don't want to pay the cost of incarcerating people who are not harming anyone.... etc, etc.

Keep in mind that, as with all bills, there will be 3 camps among the Reps:
* those who agree with us that decrim makes sense and should be passed immediately
* the drug warriors who need to save people from themselves
* the critical ones "on the fence" who have no solid opinon

That last group will, as always, cast their vote largely based on :
  * raw emotion
     * Civ Dis is a good way to scare them and/or piss them off (yes I know it's irrational but there it is)
     * pleasant, nonconfrontational, polite conversation is a good way to make them feel comfortable
  * number and quality of feedback from their constituents
  * direction from other trusted Reps -- this is where the groundwork laid by NHCCS & NHLA is critical
  * direction from the "Party Leadership" -- will be against us, on "both" sides, get over it


I'm not against any form of Civ Dis on this; I'm just saying, doing it after the bill has worked its way through the system greatly increases the chance of passage. And that means: fewer innocent people locked up in jail.

[Braddogg]

That seems kinda counter-intuitive, Denis.  You have a ton more experience than I do (hell, a fly in the state house has more experience than I do), but it seems as though an act of CD would raise awareness of an issue in the eyes of the public.  If they do it after the decrim bill goes through, the awareness would be raised about a year before the issue would reach the state house again . . . .  What am I missing?

[error]

People who have such illogical, harebrained reactions to some guy smoking a joint really have no business being state representatives.

[d_goddard]

it seems as though an act of CD would raise awareness of an issue in the eyes of the public.  If they do it after the decrim bill goes through, the awareness would be raised about a year before the issue would reach the state house again . . . .  What am I missing?

When the bill is working its way thru the legislature, the gut feeling of about 30 on-the-fence Reps are all that matters. Any act of Civ Dis will terrify the piss out of them.

Keep in mind, those Reps are the ones who probably never saw a joint (or it's been many decades since they did) and all they've been hearing that whole time is the same old bullshit: it's a gateway drug, it's a Schedule I substance, it's associated with criminal behavior.
Please, don't tell me "that's all bullshit", you don't think I know that?
The fact is, that brainwashing is the result of decades of government propaganda and billions of Federal dollars; that's what we're up against.

A single act of Civ Dis cements all their worst fears in their minds. They're not going to say, "you know, I should learn more about these people" -- because CD is not the way to engage a conversation with people who are not on your side. Logical or not, it alienates them.

Meanwhile, for the last year, NH Common Sense has been building up a grassroots list of people "on our side". Those are the people (other than FSPers, Libertarians, and undergrounders) who will most likely be contacting the Reps and writing LTE's. What do you think the matchbooks were for?

People who have such illogical, harebrained reactions to some guy smoking a joint really have no business being state representatives.

But of course... Delmar earned himself an "F" from us.
That said, several of us spent quite a lot of time talking to Delmar, usually in the presence of his fellow Keene Reps... and he's now on our side on the decrim issue. And so are most of the Reps on the Criminal Justice subcommittee that is likely to work on the bill. Several of whom are current and former LEOs.

Come November, we better pull out all the stops to get the F's and CT's ejected, or -- mark my words -- you'll see a hell of a lot more Statism in NH. On the flip side, I know a number of Porcs are running for State Rep. And thanks to fusion, they can even run as (D + L) or (R + L), and as such have a shot at being elected. With another 8-10 "A" Reps in the House, you'll see a lot of very exciting news come out of NH.

But until then, for the duration of the 2008 session, the pisser is, we have to work with the legislature that we have. And a lot of people -- Rocketman, Tyler, most of the NHLA Board, and others -- have spent many, many hours making acquaintance with the key Reps... and then presenting the pro-liberty angle on issues, in as agreeable and digestible a manner as possible. And that is, in no small part, how in the last session NH came closer than ever before to passing medical MJ.

[Dreepa]

And thanks to fusion, they can even run as (D + L) or (R + L), and as such have a shot at being elected. With another 8-10 "A" Reps in the House, you'll see a lot of very exciting news come out of NH.

OT but didn't fusion get tossed this year?