Will dope smokers be moving to Colorado now?

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Marijuana usage is rampant among today's youth and especially college kids.   They are obsessed with this aside from alcohol binging.   So what's going to happen now that it's legal in Colorado (and maybe another state?)

[muman613]

I was just told that Washington state legalized recreational use of Marijuana... As I have stated before I have been against general legalization for recreational use while upholding that there is a medical use which should be legal. I voted against the recreational use of MJ when it was on the ballot here in CA a few years ago...

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

Probably less people will do it. A great part of the "high" is doing it because it is illegal. Take away that and many will just say this is stupid and a waste of time.

[Dr. Dan]

Probably less people will do it. A great part of the "high" is doing it because it is illegal. Take away that and many will just say this is stupid and a waste of time.

On that logic, which may be true, more individuals will look towards harder illegal drugs which, under the same logic of supporting recreational pot use, will support the use of other illicit harmful drugs.

[Baltimore]

The Federal Government will tell CO they can not do this. If CO tries it the Feds will just send in a few agents who will start to bust suppliers and it will quickly come to an end.

If the Federal Government ignores this though (and I do not think they will) then many other states will have pot referendums very soon.

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

Honestly Colorado is smart in doing this. They probably would be getting a lot more tourists and visitors now. I believe places like Amsterdam has people smoking these things, but most of the time it is people from the outside who come there specifically because of this. Its own citizens smoke less of these things since it was legalized. Soo they get $ coming in (tourists) and have less drug addicts.

[briann]

Honestly Colorado is smart in doing this. They probably would be getting a lot more tourists and visitors now. I believe places like Amsterdam has people smoking these things, but most of the time it is people from the outside who come there specifically because of this. Its own citizens smoke less of these things since it was legalized. Soo they get $ coming in (tourists) and have less drug addicts.

This is a bit of a dual-edged sword.... Amsterdam initially did have a tourist boom... but it was later followed by a huge spike in crime and a steady exodus of the wealthy from the areas... which is why Amesterdam has been recently trying to scale back the drug/prostitution culture.

[Zelhar]

It should be legal, under heavy taxes and regulation, but legal everywhere. Everybody who wants to smoke it already do that and the real damage in marijuana comes from its illegal trade by drug cartels, not unlike the case of prohibition and the mafia that exploited it, so the most reasonable thing to do is to legalize it.

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

It should be legal, under heavy taxes and regulation, but legal everywhere. Everybody who wants to smoke it already do that and the real damage in marijuana comes from its illegal trade by drug cartels, not unlike the case of prohibition and the mafia that exploited it, so the most reasonable thing to do is to legalize it.

 Agree. Gov. will make $ and the loss would be for the cartels. Probably make it for over 21.

 OR allowed only inside certain places, but illegal outside certain controlled zones.

[Rubystars]

Part of me wants to support CO because it's a state's rights versus federal government issue. I would've probably voted no on legalizing it though because I don't think people will benefit from smoking pot or the state attracting other state's potheads.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Agree. Gov. will make $ and the loss would be for the cartels. Probably make it for over 21.

 OR allowed only inside certain places, but illegal outside certain controlled zones.

But then the cartels may turn their attention toward other pursuits.   This could be dangerous for the public.

[Sveta]

Maybe all the nuts will move to such states and Republicans will become electable in the other states.

[Zelhar]

But then the cartels may turn their attention toward other pursuits.   This could be dangerous for the public.

In the case of marijuana, the associated crime does much more damage then the drug itself. And, consumption of the drug is not going to increase dramatically because everyone who wants to smoke it already does.

[muman613]

Maybe all the nuts will move to such states and Republicans will become electable in the other states.

Republicans smoke pot too... It is not a Red/Blue issue at this point. I have known Republican Deadheads and other Republicans who also smoked pot...

[MasterWolf1]

Tax it and have all the dopers start paying the debt that keeps mounting from the on going paying to parasies!!