Amendment 64 Passes: Colorado Legalizes Marijuana For Recreational Use

[Chino]

"
On Tuesday night, Amendment 64 -- the measure which sought the legalization of marijuana for recreational use by adults -- was passed by Colorado voters, making Colorado the first state to end marijuana prohibition in the United States."

"Under Amendment 64, marijuana is taxed and regulated similar to alcohol and tobacco. It gives state and local governments the ability to control and tax the sale of small amounts of marijuana to adults age 21 and older. According to the Associated Press, analysts project that that tax revenue could generate somewhere between $5 million and $22 million a year in the state. An economist whose study was funded by a pro-pot group projects as much as a $60 million boost by 2017."


https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/06/amendment-64-passes-in-co_n_2079899.html


Your thoughts?

[Jaffa]

... Somehow it seems really strange to me that it would be Colorado. 

[ReaPsTA]

... Somehow it seems really strange to me that it would be Colorado.

Why?  If I remember correctly, Boulder is basically a hippie commune.  And, in spite of the state's conservative politics, the vibe is supposedly pretty laid back.

Good on Colorado for doing something that desperately needed to happen.

[Chino]

Washington passed for recreational use too.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/06/marijuana-legalization-results_n_2074168.html

:Initiative 502 legalizes it — but only for people over the age of 21. And sorry green thumbs: personal cultivation without a license is still illegal.:

[Jaffa]

Why?  If I remember correctly, Boulder is basically a hippie commune.  And, in spite of its conservative politics, the vibe is supposedly pretty laid back.

I really don't know.  It just seems odd to me.

Anyway, yeah, great for them.  I predict a lot of people very suddenly moving to Colorado. 

[Progmetty]

 

[Scheavo]

personal cultivation without a license is still illegal.:

That honestly seems like the most bullshit part about this initiative. It's obviously a sell-out to moneyed interests. It honestly reminds me of the kind of nespotism that really started the American Revolution, when the British Parliament tried to give the East Indies Tea Company an obviously hand out, and we had the Tea Party.

By the way, what power of the government is used to argue that you can tell people what they can grow in their back yard? It's always seemed like an obvious Constitutional overstep to me. The Commerce Clause is obviously the rational for how they can prevent trafficking, but growing a plant in your back yard for personal use? What?

[Progmetty]

Do NOT, complain about this

[El Barto]

The Colorado deal is pretty cool.  The Washington version is a sham.  Still, it's a nice step forward.

[black_biff_stadler]

[Scheavo]

Do NOT, complain about this

Oh, Colorado is obviously a step forward. And I think this might get the discussion going on the national scale. It's a discussion that needs to happen, but it is disappointing that the Washington initiative is so obviously flawed.

The best news about it, though, is that people were cool with legalizing it, despite it's flaws. It shows the popular support for the idea.

[Super Dude]

... Somehow it seems really strange to me that it would be Colorado.

Why?  If I remember correctly, Boulder is basically a hippie commune.  And, in spite of its conservative politics, the vibe is supposedly pretty laid back.

Good on Colorado for doing something that desperately needed to happen.

Knowing personally of Colorado's closet hippie-dippieness, I'm actually more surprised that it didn't happen sooner.

[El Barto]

The best news about it, though, is that people were cool with legalizing it, despite it's flaws. It shows the popular support for the idea.

I suspect a helluva lot of it's supporters don't realize just how screwed up it is.  The Cali proposition was even worse, and the stoners supported it in droves.  None of them had a clue that they were screwing themselves by voting for it.

[Scheavo]

The best news about it, though, is that people were cool with legalizing it, despite it's flaws. It shows the popular support for the idea.

I suspect a helluva lot of it's supporters don't realize just how screwed up it is.  The Cali proposition was even worse, and the stoners supported it in droves.  None of them had a clue that they were screwing themselves by voting for it.

Basically what I was going for 

People supported legalizing it, and that's good in and of itself. Forget how flawed it's implementation is.

[El Barto]

I'm curious if the heads in Colorado are already publicly celebrating.  If it had happened here, I'd be walking down the street burning one right now.  After forty years of having to be sneaky about it, the prospect of no longer fearing asshole cops would be monumental to me. 

[Implode]

One of my friends in Colorado says that the smoke from his neighbors is seeping through their door. 

[Cedar redaC]

It's their right as a state to legalize whatever they want (so long as it doesn't violate the Constitution). It's also their right to tax it into oblivion. I imagine they will.

[El Barto]

One of my friends in Colorado says that the smoke from his neighbors is seeping through their door. 

My guess is that applies to the entire state of Oklahoma.  (backwards-ass hicks could use a good buzz)

[theliloutkast]

I'm going to celebrate now.

[Implode]

People on Tumblr are saying that Puerto Rico is going to become a state. I haven't seen anything official and am extremely skeptical. I'm I rightfully so?

[Orthogonal]

Congrats to Colorado, huge step in the right direction. Now they only need to end the State regulation and taxing and it would be complete.

[El Barto]

Congrats to Colorado, huge step in the right direction. Now they only need to end the State regulation and taxing and it would be complete.

While I agree in principle, the effect of this law is such that their limited regs and taxation don't trouble me at all.  Six plants growing with three flowering, and the ability to transfer up to a lid with no questions asked really makes the tax part of it a factor only to the people who would rather buy it commercially than grow it.  Few people can distil their own bourbon, but anybody can grow decent bud, so this is already a big improvement over alcohol taxation.

[Ħ]

Congrats to Colorado, huge step in the right direction. Now they only need to end the State regulation and taxing and it would be complete.

Taxing drugs is a really good idea, IMO.

[glaurung]

I'm really surprised it didn't pass here in Oregon.

[Ben_Jamin]

This is a good step foward, now we get to see what happens and work to improve flaws.

[Super Dude]

Congrats to Colorado, huge step in the right direction. Now they only need to end the State regulation and taxing and it would be complete.

Taxing drugs is a really good idea, IMO.

Yeah y'know I'm inclined to agree. Taxation = government revenue = money that can go toward paying off state, and perhaps eventually federal debt.

[Elite]

So, now the Netherlands can follow.

[Progmetty]

The question returns: does that mean if someone who works in Colorado tests positive for THC at a test his employers demanded; can he still get fired or can he say "It's legal fool!"?

[PowerSlave]

The question returns: does that mean if someone who works in Colorado tests positive for THC at a test his employers demanded; can he still get fired or can he say "It's legal fool!"?

I know of companies that are firing/not hiring people that test positive for nicotiene, so I'd imagine that it's up to each employer how they want to go about it.

[PowerSlave]

People on Tumblr are saying that Puerto Rico is going to become a state. I haven't seen anything official and am extremely skeptical. I'm I rightfully so?

https://www.chron.com/default/article/Puerto-Rico-votes-on-US-ties-and-chooses-governor-4012422.php

[Chino]

The question returns: does that mean if someone who works in Colorado tests positive for THC at a test his employers demanded; can he still get fired or can he say "It's legal fool!"?

It should be allowed if it is suppose to be treated the same as alcohol. You can do it as long as it's not at work. The problem with marijuana is that you can't test it on the spot like you can alcohol. I've read about a device that takes a very tiny sample off your tongue and it can determine if you have had THC introduced your system recently. It is also much harder to tell when someone is on it (which in that case you can argue if that's even a problem). I hope most employers after the transition look at it as though nothing has changed other than the fact that they now know their employees smoke pot, and probably have been all along.

[eric42434224]

It doesnt matter if pot is legal, a private employer can absolutely use it as a reason for termination or non-hire.  And THC stays in your system WAY longer than other drugs.  Even weeks depending on usage levels.

[yeshaberto]

while I would not want to go on record for being for cannabis use (considering the down sides of it), I think the laws are silly and give a thumbs up to CO.

[Cedar redaC]

It doesnt matter if pot is legal, a private employer can absolutely use it as a reason for termination or non-hire.

Exactly, you can't discriminate based on race, nationality, religion, color, etc., but pretty much everything else is up for grabs. If an employer doesn't want pot smoking employees, there is nothing that stops them from having "clean" employees.

[skydivingninja]

Party at Jackie's house!