The Feds Push Banks to Spy On Legal Marijuana Dealers

I found this article to be pretty interesting considering the argument that legalizing Marijuana would not only eliminate a strong portion of law enforcement programs and positions that are focused in on busting Marijuana users but also that if legalized the projected profit and impact on the government would be in the billions if not trillions. We spend roughly $150 billion on law enforcement and our court systems and about half of those arrests and court appearance are Marijuana related. Im not saying we need to eliminate law enforcement all together that would be crazy; what im saying is some of the "drug programs" where its pretty much a couple of fat guys getting paid high salaries to catch those evil pot smokers needs to be looked into. Here are two interesting articles; one is from Time magazine.


www.alternet.org...

www.time.com...

reply to post by MonkeyWrench30


It kills me that we worry about any amount of Marajuana at all when we have perfectly legal factories all over this world stamping out pills that are actually hazardous to our health and are expected to kill a percentage of users due to .....is collateral damage the right word here?
Marajuana deaths from 1900 to 2000 = 0.
No facts to back up the last statement but i'm no user and i'm sure i'm real close to an exact figure.

reply to post by MonkeyWrench30

You don't want marijuana legalized. You want it decriminalized. Why? Look at tobacco. Nicotine is not that addicitve in and of itself until they added ammonia and nicotine bonded to the molecule and it was able to penetrate the blood brain barrier and deliver a heroin like rush. It was the rush cigarette smokers become addicted to. You can see them on smoke break. Flip light draw "AHHHHHH"

One word Monsanto would dominate the market with killer seeds and adulterated strains to make a non-addictive multi-useful plant into an addicitng God knows what is in it plant.

Decriminalizing it but regulating it as California does is the way. As I mentioned before this is the exact reason why California voted to not legalize it. Coops are doing fine. They are discrete, helpful, successful and safe. For the most part criminal free. Most people who are still buying illegally are probaly illegals. Why would you? That pushed the Mexican and Russian MaFia gangs throughout the US. If cannabis was decriminalized and regulated by the states alone then you would see a surge in crystal and cociaine due to falling prices as the slippery grip of the drug warrior looks for new victims eventually moving back down south. Return Mayberry America.

reply to post by sirjunlegun



You are correct, decriminalization would be the best option, however i can never understand the link to other drugs, like coc aine or crystal, people who smoke cannabis will not be interested in these other drugs, just as if you take paracetamol, you dont go onto ' harder drugs' and if the drug gangs couldnt sell cannabis illegally, them would sell i cheaper or be out of buisness, the increse of the amount of coc aine is because the gangs are becomming restricted and obviously because there losing buisness, if nobody is interested in coc aine, they would have no buisness, police cracking down on the harder drugs at this time like, coc aine they would not be wasting valuble time on cannabis seizures and arrests, the extra coc aine being shipped in will be caught and the people behing, put in prison, thus leads to less drugs?

reply to post by holtdani


Making drugs illegal gives gangs more buisness to sell, make money, pay people, make drugs, its an illegal nighmare

why is a cannabis user evil I know many who use they hold good jobs work hard go to church and are considered up standing members of the community they are charitable and generous they are neither viloent or abusive to any one, when as many alcohol users are aggressive unpleasent and are quick to resort to violence this propoganda that says cannabis is evil needs to stop there is growing medical evidence for the pheraputic uses of cannabis canadian website phonenix tears has plenty of examples of this not only that there are plenty of examples of alternative uses of hemp fibre ie rope, clothes, paper, bio fuel and many more this topic needs honest and open debate and not the petty labeling of the propoganda machine ie the big pharma companies

Figures.

The D.E.A raids legal dispensaries all the time, When they do, they usually recieve help from the local law enforcement as well, which should t illegal in itself. They seize all assets and freeze accounts, putting legitimate business' and family's out in the cold.

The government wants that money, and will pass bogus laws, manipulate, and trump up charges to get what they want.

I own a hydroponic and organic indoor garden supply store. I had local cops actually tell me "give us the name of your biggest customer, and we'll leave you alone". ..They still wont leave me alone.

The "dealers" they speak of, are usually co-op growers. They grow a certain amount of plants for cancer patients becoming caretakers. It's non-profit, and donations are usually sparse, but the feds don't see it that way.

Legalize it, tax it, live and let live. God love the cannabis grower.

reply to post by sirjunlegun


not sure what world you live in where cigarettes have a heroin rush.


but i would love to visit.

Originally posted by RelentlessLurker
reply to post by sirjunlegun

 

not sure what world you live in where cigarettes have a heroin rush.

but i would love to visit.

Dunno bro, you don't wanna be inbetween me and my next smoke if i been without for more than a couple of hours.
I turn into that guy Dennis Leary speaks of, i'll break into your house for the next fix!!
I starred you though.

Originally posted by sirjunlegun
reply to post by MonkeyWrench30

 

You don't want marijuana legalized. You want it decriminalized. Why? Look at tobacco. Nicotine is not that addicitve in and of itself until they added ammonia and nicotine bonded to the molecule and it was able to penetrate the blood brain barrier and deliver a heroin like rush. It was the rush cigarette smokers become addicted to. You can see them on smoke break. Flip light draw "AHHHHHH"

One word Monsanto would dominate the market with killer seeds and adulterated strains to make a non-addictive multi-useful plant into an addicitng God knows what is in it plant.

Decriminalizing it but regulating it as California does is the way. As I mentioned before this is the exact reason why California voted to not legalize it. Coops are doing fine. They are discrete, helpful, successful and safe. For the most part criminal free. Most people who are still buying illegally are probaly illegals. Why would you? That pushed the Mexican and Russian MaFia gangs throughout the US. If cannabis was decriminalized and regulated by the states alone then you would see a surge in crystal and cociaine due to falling prices as the slippery grip of the drug warrior looks for new victims eventually moving back down south. Return Mayberry America.

Regulation brings nothing good with it. Cannabis, being a weed, is perfectly suited to grow freely from organic seed. There is nothing criminal about it save for current legality. I don't like mayberry America, I want an enlightened 1776...

I dont se the problem with this smokes and booze are legal but cops go in bars all the time to see if they are servering minors or serving people that have had too much to drink and they go into liquor stores to see if they are selling to kids.

reply to post by holtdani


It actually would make the criminals less effective in selling drugs if marijuana is sold at gas stations, grocery stores, etc. Hell imagine if Wal-Mart got ahold of it and made their own seperate isle. That kind of accessibility and price war would pretty much eliminate the everyday drug dealers that are dealt with on a regular basis by our law enforcement. Tons of money saved, less crime, and everyone is happy. Want a perfect example? Go look at Amsterdam...they have one of the lowest crime rates in the world and pot is legal there.

reply to post by MonkeyWrench30


pot is decriminalized in Amsterdam
not legal

Decrim today and rake in the taxes tomorrow.

I would pay a bit of tax just to enjoy decrimmed grass.

reply to post by sirjunlegun

You don't want marijuana legalized. You want it decriminalized.

No I don't. I don't want either. "Legalizing" or "decriminalizing" something that is a natural and unalienable right to do is absurd. It is no ones business who smokes pot and for what reason. There is no crime in the act so the notion of "decriminalization" is ridiculous. There are no victims from pot smoking, thus no crime.

i used to work in a mj club my boss sure as hell never paied any taxes and didnt report payments to employees hell didnt even pay some of them im all for legalization/decriminlization but if your goinna try to do it at least work for the movement not greed

reply to post by The Sword


there is currently a 7% tax on it in san jose california,now i dont get how they can tax it if its illegal and if its illegal and there making money off of it couldn't in THEORY the feds or whatnot get them with RICO laws or whatnot? not that i agree with any action against legalization i just want it done right

I think it should remain illegal if you make a transaction of the product in exchange for money or other things of value but allowed growing for personal private home usage then that should clean out the crimminal gangs. The government police could then stop harrassing all the college students and other good citizens who just want free choice without the added fear of arrest and prison. While some laws are to protect society other laws are a complete infringement, a complete power play game backed by companies and corparations motivated by money - which by the way I view as a kind of drug, really think about it. Money makes us slaves. Imagine what would happen if all money was no longer used. It would be a TRUE test of what the human race is capable of. Without the concern of money would the human race 'evolve' quicker in technology and break through sciences without the restrictions of budgets and funding. The human race would just DO it because it needs to be done. Might happen in about a four million years from now, if the human race still exsists of course.