Debating Ballot Question 2, MA Marijuana Decrim With Steve Epstein and Peabody Police Chief Robert Champagne.

[celtics34champs]

yeah i dont even smoke, i think all this is ridiculous it should be legal, i live in massachusetts and since its been decriminalized i dont see any negative changes at all. actually posotive, because inmature 17 year olds wont go to jail with gang members and rapists.

[dillyg27]

legal or illegal i dont care nothin is gunna stop me from smokin it

[6Human6Animal6]

Its decriminalized now BIACCCCCCHHHH!!!!!!! Massachusetts owns.

[jr602az]

INNOCENT PEOPLE IN JAIL RIGHT NOW.

[tigerone1970]

I have an idea. Never say "let's make marijuana lega", say: "let's make marijuana legal AGAIN".

That gets people thinking about the fact that most of it's history marijuana, hemp, cannabis was completely legal. Cities were named after it like, Hempstead (and there are many towns now called Hempstead - New York, Texas, etc.).

Hemp was only made illegal to give the people who couldn't prohibit alcohol something to do.

[RebelliousHutterite]

thanks for posting, you should do yourself a favor and get a hold of some video capture software though

[MikeCANN]

Yes, do you have any suggestions on what to use? I don't even know where to start. I have the second part of this but didn't post it because of that...

[RebelliousHutterite]

Dazzle makes some cheaper hardware, maybe go to amazon dot come and type in "dazzle". I currently am using "dazzle hollywood bridge" for mac... I can capture stuff from TV, VHS.. pretty much anything.

[MiztahBuddy]

I'm just disappointed by the scope of this, that's all.

It replaces penalties with (get ready) another form of penalty(??!)

If the initiative were to dissolve state laws against cannabis, to allow growing, to allow possession of any and all amounts, to restore humanity's right to real traditional shamanic plant knowledge and the use of such knowledge

that would be huge, and awesome.

As is it appears to give that cop who hates paperwork a more convenient way to punish more citizens, faster.

[yerk3]

MiztahBuddy: It's a step in the right direction though. Sure, there is still a fine, but I would rather lose 100 dollars than be permanently branded by having that shit on my record, lose my job, my student aid, etc. More needs to be done, but in the mean time, this measure cuts out some of the most egregious bullshit.

[Foxkibble]

Hell a fine beats getting busted!

Though it's not totally Legal

We're on our way!

Once they see Mass not go to hell other states are going to start decriminalizing it aswell. then eventually

it shall become fully legal!

[MiztahBuddy]

this sucks man, even the 'for cannabis' guy wants it to be TAXED? taxation is not freedom

i've read the initiative and to me it seems to just streamline the process of taking money from private citizens, making it faster and easier to dispossess them of 100 bucks at a time, plus their weed gets taken

this isn't even a real shot at decriminalization of "the greatest plant." just another chance for us to vote for our own oppression.

[MikeCANN]

If you think it's better to keep the current status quo, you are nuts. I've been arrested for it and punished for life over it in regards to employment. I am supporting this big time. $100 isn't anything compared to a criminal record, an arrest, probation, court costs, fines, etc.

The current status quo with cannabis is so bad, yes we are asking to be taxed to buy it legally. If they did that maybe we can talk getting rid of the far worse freedom killing income tax.

[yerk3]

MikeCANN: The income tax isn't "freedom killing." What kills freedom is mass illiteracy, which is what we will have without the income tax. The rich make more than they need, surely they can spare a couple of bucks so that inner city kids can have the opportunity for an education.

[MikeCANN]

Most rich people don't pay income taxes, hence why I said it sucks. And the best funded schools don't always have literate kids in MA too. Look at Cambridge and how much they spend and the scores. But back to the income tax. If I live in MA and my buddy lives in NH, we have no office, online, an one has an income tax and one doesn't, where do you think we incorporated? NH. And that's just one example. Consumption taxes are much fairer than tax on working class income.

[MikeCANN]

And the act of taxing income leads the largest corporations to have a corrupt relationship with the govt. from the start. It's lower our taxes for jobs. Ease up on your rules. And the govt. says ease up on how you report us. THE FORTUNE 500 is the government, they do not tax themselves but only give themselves whatever they want. The working class taxpayer doesn't get a deal.

[yerk3]

MiztahBuddy: Everything is taxed. Without taxes, public schools can't work, and without public schools, we would go back to a society where most people were illiterate. The answer isn't less government, it is better government, that protects the poor and polices the rich.

[DrAdlaiAtkins]

"taxation is not freedom?" as much as I can generally stomach libertarianism, this is close to ridiculous. taxes are used in a broad sense to compensate for benefits reaped from public service. while I can understand wanting to reduce taxes instituting a manageable tax on marijuana would actually benefit users, since the government would have a positive vested interest in it.

imagine, soon, lobbyists from the marijuana industry campaign to reduce taxes-you'll think twice about complaining

[retaliation1982]

Did he say date rape drug?.... HE'S FUCKIN' CRAZY and obviously never smoked weed, or dude is getting paid a lot of money to talk like that. Damn I'm tired of this war on marijuana and this repetition of years gone by and it still isn't legalized....FUCK IT..... I need a bong hit to calm my ass down!!!