Pass the Bong...NH House to vote on Legalizing Weed...

[BostonWhaler]

http://www.unionleader.com/article/2...09425/0/news04

"Do as I say, not as I do".

[Pineedles]

Our President thinks it's no more harmful than beer.

[Happy Gourmand]

I heard or read somewhere that one of the big issues is that there apparently is no accurate way to measure the level of impairment in the event of a traffic stop or accident.

[BostonWhaler]

When the issue of determining sobriety during traffic stops came up in WA and CO, it was deemed that police would retain the status quo... That is, they can cite/arrest anyone they deem too inebriated to drive. Even with alcohol, people can get a DUI and still be under the 0.08 limit. Field sobriety tests (and the actions of the driver) hold up well in court.

[HomeWood]

Originally Posted by The Phantom Gourmand

I heard or read somewhere that one of the big issues is that there apparently is no accurate way to measure the level of impairment in the event of a traffic stop or accident.

No, there is not. The driving case, the drivers actions, SFST's, and a blood draw to confirm the presence of marijuana are all crucial for a marijuana DWI conviction. They can be a pain to prosecute.

Alcohol DWI's are much easier to prosecute simply because of the breathalyzers and accurate blood draws. I have successfully prosecuted cases that were less than .08. It's call appreciable impairment.

[BostonWhaler]

Originally Posted by HomeWood

It's call appreciable impairment.

That's the phrase I was looking for. Thanks.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by HomeWood

No, there is not. The driving case, the drivers actions, SFST's, and a blood draw to confirm the presence of marijuana are all crucial for a marijuana DWI conviction. They can be a pain to prosecute.

Alcohol DWI's are much easier to prosecute simply because of the breathalyzers and accurate blood draws. I have successfully prosecuted cases that were less than .08. It's called appreciable impairment.

This week, singer Justin Bieber showed that alcohol and marijuana can be imbibed at the same time.

Who'da thunk it?

[rkt10]

Originally Posted by Happy Gourmand

I heard or read somewhere that one of the big issues is that there apparently is no accurate way to measure the level of impairment in the event of a traffic stop or accident.

Probably the worst thing will be a bunch of people all driving 25 mph.

[ApS]

Marijuana Linked to Financial Woes...

There's always Welfare...

"...Of 29 persistent pot smokers who grew up in middle-class families, 15 experienced downward social mobility, versus only 23 of 160 middle-class peers who never used marijuana.

"Participants who consistently qualified as dependent on marijuana after age 18 encountered the worst money troubles over time, even exceeding those of alcoholic peers...the association between marijuana and money troubles remained after accounting for childhood poverty, IQ, teenage delinquency and depression, impulsiveness, self-reported motivation to succeed in life, pot-related criminal convictions and abuse of alcohol and other drugs on top of frequent marijuana use."
—Science News, April 30, 2016

Whoever could have predicted this outcome?



.

[ApS]

Once you legalize dope, there will be no crime and life will be perfect...

The cops in Colorado knew this would happen. They predicted it, and it has come to fruition.

Now a prosecutor in the state has gone on the record with his concerns. Arapahoe County district attorney George Brauchler provides some disturbing statistics: 10 of the last 15 murders in his jurisdiction were connected to marijuana.

Mr. Brauchler expressed the following to FOX 31 out of Denver:

This all wasn't supposed to happen. The pot legalization advocates told us that legalized marijuana would reduce crime and effectively eliminate the black market. Now we have experienced and respected prosecutors saying they are seeing, firsthand, the exact opposite.
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2016/06

[ishoot308]

So the city of Denver just approved marijuana use in bars and restaurants. You can now smoke some weed and have a drink at the same time! How wonderful! Now everyone can drink and get stoned then drive home! Oh wait... I bet everyone will be walking to these bars and restaurants right??...or have a designated driver because lord knows how responsible society is! NOT!

I'm all for medical marijuana but not this!

Dan

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/leg...-catch-n684646

[PaugusBayFireFighter]

Originally Posted by Pineedles

Our President thinks it's no more harmful than beer.

He's wrong again, it's much less harmful.

Yearly deaths in US from alcohol ~80,000
Yearly deaths in US from prescription drugs ~22,000
Current death toll from marijuana overdoses in history ZERO

It's a silly debate and anybody who knows anything about drugs knows MJ is going to be legalized much sooner than later.

I'm still waiting for a legit reason to NOT legalize it. Politicians who are on the wrong side of this issue could find themselves in the weeds

[camp guy]

C'mon, PBFF, as I see it, the whole reason people smoke MJ is to reach some level of "disconnect" with society. Then, quite possibly, this person will decide to hop in a car or boat and go somewhere. This puts the rest of us at risk. I am not unaware that there are already other forms of substance which can be used by someone, but why legalize another substance known to alter someone reality.

Call me old fashioned, but we have enough "altered" people cruising around society now, and we don't need to invite others to join.

[PaugusBayFireFighter]

Originally Posted by camp guy

C'mon, PBFF, as I see it, the whole reason people smoke MJ is to reach some level of "disconnect" with society. Then, quite possibly, this person will decide to hop in a car or boat and go somewhere. This puts the rest of us at risk. I am not unaware that there are already other forms of substance which can be used by someone, but why legalize another substance known to alter someone reality.

Call me old fashioned, but we have enough "altered" people cruising around society now, and we don't need to invite others to join.

OK...You're old fashioned...
...honestly CG. I understand why it's hard for people who don't understand the drug to be worried about legalization.
Marijuana does not need to be legalized so that people who smoke have easy access to it. It's already easy, delivery to your door easy...anywhere, especially up here in gods country. The grass around here is usually locally grown. It's not the old days where pot comes into Miami from Columbia or Panama and make it's way up north. Most of the MJ in the northeast comes from Canada and local indoor grows. It cost around 3-400 an ounce and the state gets NOTHING from the sale.

If done right, legalizing it destroys the MJ street drug trade overnight. It releases hundreds of millions of dollars spent in NH to enforce MJ laws and forces the law to focus on the drugs that are really killing our kids, prescription meds and heroin. It immediately frees the courts from thousands of petty MJ cases a week and allows the prisons to house real criminals. The tax revenue, ~25 million, is just a bonus.

As far as people boating and driving because it's legalized? I just don't buy that people who have never smoked pot are all of a sudden going to get stoned and drive. No data supports that hypothesis. All these arguments have been made in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii, California.

I worked as a firefighter/emt in Boston and the suburbs for close to 25 years and I have NEVER been to a call that was the result of marijuana (other than anxiety).
The safeness of the drug in adults is not up for debate. PERIOD. You can't overdose on pot.

As someone who understands the physiology of a lot of street drugs I would never suggest that driving under the influence of MJ is safe. It alters your perception of distance and you are not on your A game. I wish there were a good test that could determine if you are under the influence of MJ.

As a supporter of legalizing and taxing MJ I still think it makes sense to watch and see what happens in the states where it is legalized. Learn from them.

NH is the last state in NE to legalize medical MJ. By the time they get their dispensaries opened and all their regulations worked out it will be a huge waste of time and money. It will be legalized by then.

I won't even bring up that "Live Free Or Die" motto that NH used to brag about. That motto meant something to me as a teen when I lived in Mass. You can buy fireworks and the packies are open on Sunday in Newie!

[fatlazyless]

The NH legislature will be totally out of its mind if it legalizes pot.....nothing good will come with it.....the 400-member NH House of Reps just recently voted no to casino gambling which is another problem the state can do very well without.....way-to-go NH House of Reps.....just say no to drugs and and no to gambling....and say yes to a four penny increase on the gasoline and diesel road tax to help pay for fixing all the thousands of pot holes!!! Whether it is the pot you smoke, or the pot hole in the road, the only good pot is the cooking pot sitting on top of your stove used for making minestrone soup!

[MeredithMan]

Ok, so first let me say that I have never smoked anything in my life, tobacco or weed. I find it dirty, smelly, and gross. Maybe it's because my mother was a smoker all her life and there were always ashes and cigarette butts all over the house. It's also because my grandfather on my father's side was a habitual cigar smoker and died of throat cancer. I also remember going to Bruins games at the old Boston Garden as a kid and smelling the dope stench high in the 2nd balcony...another turn-off.

I know plenty of people my age, (early 50's), who don't drink a drop of alcohol, but hang out with their friends or neighbors at home, have dinner, and smoke weed. It is definitely not my thing, but the Libertarian in me wonders is this really any different than when my wife and I have friends over and we have dinner and polish off some Bud Lights and a bottle or two of merlot?

I'm sure there will be plenty of opinions on this one....

MM

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by MeredithMan

I know plenty of people my age, (early 50's), who don't drink a drop of alcohol, but hang out with their friends or neighbors at home, have dinner, and smoke weed. It is definitely not my thing, but the Libertarian in me wonders is this really any different than when my wife and I have friends over and we have dinner and polish off some Bud Lights and a bottle or two of merlot?

I'm sure there will be plenty of opinions on this one....

MM

I'm with you. I don't smoke anything and won't start, but I think it's utterly ridiculous that the state has laws against growing and using a particular plant. I couldn't care less if people want to use it and don't want my tax dollars going toward any enforcement of laws against it.

[PaugusBayFireFighter]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

The NH legislature will be totally out of its mind if it legalizes pot.....nothing good will come with it.....the 400-member NH House of Reps just recently voted no to casino gambling which is another problem the state can do very well without.....way-to-go NH House of Reps.....just say no to drugs and and no to gambling....and say yes to a four penny increase on the gasoline and diesel road tax to help pay for fixing all the thousands of pot holes!!! Whether it is the pot you smoke, or the pot hole in the road, the only good pot is the cooking pot sitting on top of your stove used for making minestrone soup!

Well, I would lecture you about how you have no idea what you are talking about when it comes to marijuana, but you already know that. If you did, you would know legalizing and taxing it is a no brainer.

Have you seen all the rampant violence and overdoses in Colorado and Washington? Right, all we've seen is the tax revenue.
During the first month of recreational marijuana sales, Colorado's licensed dispensaries generated a total of more than $14 million, putting about $2 million of tax revenue into state coffers in the process. Revenue was in line with expectations. Any politician who ignores the future data will have trouble explaining why.

[ApS]

It's been found that ingesting marijuana can be fatal to dogs.
http://voices.yahoo.com/dogs-dying-a...-12088458.html

DEA administrator claims that marijuana legalization imperils dogs.
—Washington Post

David DelliQuadri was walking his daughter's dog Hailey, in Stehley Park [CO] on Nov. 25 when it ate something a vet thinks was laced with marijuana.

#“It’s like all the world is a threat to her now,” said David DelliQuadri, who was walking Hailey through Stehley Park in downtown Steamboat Springs when the dog ate something that a veterinarian later determined most likely was laced with marijuana.

#The extended side effects Hailey is experiencing after getting really stoned are not typical, but dogs ingesting marijuana and succumbing to marijuana toxicosis is not unusual in Steamboat Springs and throughout Colorado.

#“We see at least three each month,” Pet Kare Clinic veterinarian Dr. Paige Lorimer said. “It’s more common now that it’s legal.”
http://www.steamboattoday.com/news/2...ip-eating-pot/

Wah...wah...what?

[PaugusBayFireFighter]

My cats look the same way...

[ishoot308]

Isn't "cat nip" kinda like weed for cats??

[Wolfeboro_Baja]

Originally Posted by ApS

It's been found that ingesting marijuana can be fatal to dogs.
http://voices.yahoo.com/dogs-dying-a...-12088458.html

DEA administrator claims that marijuana legalization imperils dogs.
—Washington Post



Wah...wah...what?

These foods are also dangerous and possibly fatal to dogs: avocados, chocolate, onions, garlic, grapes, raisins, alcohol, macadamia nuts and raw bread dough.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtua...hazardous-dogs

[MeredithMan]

April 20 is National Weed Day. Amazing the things you can learn from your 18 year old....

[PaugusBayFireFighter]

Originally Posted by MeredithMan

April 20 is National Weed Day. Amazing the things you can learn from your 18 year old....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0..._n_543854.html

This is how 420 started...bet he doesn't know the origin..., now you do!

[MeredithMan]

.....and you're right, she did not know the origin, but I had read about this myself when I first learned of it. Amazing....thanks for sharing!

P.S.: I enjoy your sense of humor, PBFF, especially around the Weirs vacant lots topic!

[PaugusBayFireFighter]

Originally Posted by MeredithMan

.....and you're right, she did not know the origin, but I had read about this myself when I first learned of it. Amazing....thanks for sharing!

P.S.: I enjoy your sense of humor, PBFF, especially around the Weirs vacant lots topic!

MM, after I sent the last post I said to myself.."I bet it's not a he but a she"...having 4 sons, ranging from 19-24, I just assume boys are trouble and girls are angels. I know that's far from the truth. The girls are just better liars!!

Thanks for the kind comments. I think we need to laugh a lot more and stop worrying about the 'little things' in life...one thing my 25 years in fire/EMS has taught me is that life is fleeting and can turn on a dime. I've also never encountered, heard or read any incident of marijuana directly causing any true medical emergency.

And now, for me, it's W&B time..see if she knows that one!!!

[ApS]

Originally Posted by PaugusBayFireFighter

Well, I would lecture you about how you have no idea what you are talking about when it comes to marijuana, but you already know that.

If you did, you would know legalizing and taxing it is a no brainer.

Marijuana already has become a cash-crop in a Colorado Elementary school.

“We aren’t trying to harm fourth-grade students who made a bad choice,” said Principal Jennifer Sheldon, in the CNN report. “This is an adult problem.”

[PaugusBayFireFighter]

Originally Posted by ApS

[/B]
Marijuana already has become a cash-crop in a Colorado Elementary school.

A 4th grader took something an irresponsible adult should have control over and brought it to school? I've never heard of such a thing.
What other tragedies have occurred since marijuana was legalized and medically available in half the country? The overdoses, increase in usage, crime, zombies, etc., etc...there must be lots of data to support the opposition's predictions of the perils of legalizing and taxing a plant.

Here's some real information on Colorado's recent legalization...
Limited marijuana possession has been legal for over a year in Colorado and retail shops have been open for almost two months. This means there is now real data showing that legalization is going well and mostly as its backers intended.

These five numbers tell the story:

1) 77 percent decrease in state court marijuana cases - Legalization has caused marijuana arrest to plummet saving the state money. This drop is remarkable given that Colorado already had fairly liberal marijuana laws before Amendment 64 was approved. The Denver Post found, “the number of cases filed in state court alleging at least one marijuana offense plunged 77 percent between 2012 and 2013. The decline is most notable for charges of petty marijuana possession, which dropped from an average of 714 per month during the first nine months of 2012 to 133 per month during the same period in 2013 — a decline of 81 percent.”

2) $184 Million in new tax revenue – Legal marijuana sales are now projected to bring in $184 million in new tax revenue for the state during the first 18 months. This is higher than initial projections. Much of this money will go to education and drug treatment.

This number isn’t just important because it will help the state balance its budget. Significant tax revenue also proves that people are choosing to move from the black market to the new legal system even though there are high excise taxes.

3) 58 percent support for legalization – Now the that people of Colorado have gotten a chance to directly experience legalization they are increasingly supportive. Currently 58 percent of voters in Colorado support the new legalization law while only 39 percent oppose it. By comparison, in 2012 the ballot measure only won by 55.3 percent yes to 44.7 percent no.

4) 10 percent last month usage rate – In the first month after retail stores opened only 10 percent of Colorado voters said they actually used marijuana. This is right in line with use rates before legalization, showing it has not turned the state into a “land of potheads.”

5) 6.3 percent increase in airline flight searches – Early indications are that legalization will also be a modest boost for tourism. According to Hopper, “Flight search demand for Denver has been 6.3% above the national search average since December 1st.” During the first week of January flight searches were up 14 percent.

Since marijuana was legalized in Colorado marijuana arrests are way down, tax revenue is up and support for reform continues to grow. This is what success looks like.

[BroadHopper]

Colorado has always been very lax in enforcing marijuana laws. For decades Summit County has been known for public smoking of pot. And the local enforcement looks the other way. The laws just made the weed growers come out of the closet and sell responsibly.

A lot of weed are still sold below the table.

[PaugusBayFireFighter]

I'm not a religious person in any way shape or form but I do know the bible has many prophecies.

For those who haven't heard, Washington State just passed both laws, gay marriage and legalized marijuana.

The fact that both laws were passed on the same day makes perfect biblical sense.

Leviticus 20:13 says.."If a man lays with another man they shall be stoned"

We just didn't interpret it correctly before

[PaugusBayFireFighter]

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

Colorado has always been very lax in enforcing marijuana laws. For decades Summit County has been known for public smoking of pot. And the local enforcement looks the other way. The laws just made the weed growers come out of the closet and sell responsibly.

A lot of weed are still sold below the table.

Very true BH.

Lots of people grow in Colorado and would never pay the ridiculous price for convenience. They sell enough to friends to cover the cost of growing, which is barely anything. As more people grow their own plants the supply will sky rocket and the street prices will go the opposite direction.
Right now marijuana sells for about $10-$15 a gram, especially in the northeast, where it's most expensive. Once people can legally grow their own the cost will plummet.
If I was to utilize a spare bedroom closet in my home, for less than $500., I could grow enough in 90 days for 2 years worth of personal use and you would never see or smell anything. Trust me on this

[BroadHopper]

You are so right about the prices. It is outrageous in NE. CO prices are dirt cheap. My ski buddies will drive out to CO so that they can drive it back. Although they say it is safe, shipping weed with your ski luggage through FEDEX, I'd rather drive it back.

If you hike out into the Belknap range with a sharp eye, many folks don't use the bedroom closet!

[PaugusBayFireFighter]

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

If you hike out into the Belknap range with a sharp eye, many folks don't use the bedroom closet!

Or a semi-sharp nose!

A guy I know prefers the winter months indoors when his neighbors are in Florida and the temps are easier to control. He says once personal cultivation is passed he will throw some seeds in the outdoor garden. Last winter was his first ever closet attempt and the results were excellent providing a couple years worth of personal use. He thinks he may outlast prohibition with the single harvest.

The house rejected/tabled/whatever the casino bill yesterday and the talk was lawmakers were trying to attach amendments specifically marijuana decriminalization. I believe the minimum the state should do, asap, is stop the harsh penalties for small possession of grass. Massachusetts, since decriminalization in 2009, had the LOWEST pot arrest rate in the nation, prior to Colorado and Washington legalization.

In 2010 states spent over $3.6 billion enforcing marijuana possession laws, a combination of policing, judicial and legal, and corrections costs. Imagine if they used that money to shut down the "doc in the box" clinics that "legally" distribute opiates in Florida that are then sold in New England eventually turning pill users into heroin junkies. That's the real problem they should focus on. The prescription pill/heroin problem in NH is rampant amongst teens and young adults.

[tis]

I don't know, Broadhopper, Jim Lowery wasn't so lucky driving it home himself.

[PaugusBayFireFighter]

It's just a matter of time. Common sense is finally prevailing in our failed war on the "killer weed" which, to this date, has killed nobody.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...RvfUGlqGG4falA

[ApS]

Originally Posted by PaugusBayFireFighter

It's just a matter of time. Common sense is finally prevailing in our failed war on the "killer weed" which, to this date, has killed nobody.

No one has been killed in Ferguson, Missouri riots, but the robber who was killed, started it all with a marijuana "enhancement" I'd never heard of.



http://www.cannabissearch.com/products/swisher-sweets/


.

[PaugusBayFireFighter]

Originally Posted by ApS

No one has been killed in Ferguson, Missouri riots, but the robber who was killed, started it all with a marijuana "enhancement" I'd never heard of.



http://www.cannabissearch.com/products/swisher-sweets/


.

Not sure what you think the hundreds of different flavored cigars, blunt wraps and rolling papers are at every store in the country, but they are used almost exclusively for rolling marijuana. Next time you're in a gas station or convenience store look behind the counter. Cigar wraps like Swisher Sweets or Philly Blunts don't enhance the high but give a bit of flavor to the wrap. Not my cup of tea, more the younger generations choice.
These cigars have been bought and sold for over a decade with little complaints...why?? Because of the taxes generated by selling "tobacco" products the State gets their cut. The fact that you just learned about blunt wraps tells me they are not bothering anyone. Some cities, like Boston (where you can walk down the street smoking a blunt/joint without arrest or even fear of a fine), banned the sale of single flavored cigars under $2.50 but they are still available in every other city on the planet.

[Pineedles]

Originally Posted by PaugusBayFireFighter

He's wrong again, it's much less harmful.

Yearly deaths in US from alcohol ~80,000
Yearly deaths in US from prescription drugs ~22,000
Current death toll from marijuana overdoses in history ZERO

It's a silly debate and anybody who knows anything about drugs knows MJ is going to be legalized much sooner than later.

I'm still waiting for a legit reason to NOT legalize it. Politicians who are on the wrong side of this issue could find themselves in the weeds

Don't get me wrong PBF, this may be the only thing that I agree with our President on. Great, in the weeds comment.