Washington and Colorado – where, even with a Republican controlled
house, senate, and governor – the people got together, created a
ballot measure on legalizing Marijuana, and voted for it. The governor
had to pass it by law – and the measure is now law. That’s democracy,
and that’s how a democracy works.
Can you imagine if the people had power like that here in Nova Scotia?
In Canada?
Well don’t imagine too hard, it’ll never happen in Canada. Canadians
seem content to plod along with a system of government that allows for
this perverse drug war mentality to continue. Perhaps because it nets
so much cash for a very influential few – police and organized crime,
brothers in the drug war profit machine. Federal ministers doing their
best Nancy Reagan impression are the icing on the cake.
Without democratic tools in this country to keep our legislature on
track, recall legislation at all levels of government to weed out
maniacal representatives; without an additional vote for the executive
in addition to our local candidate, without the right to citizen
sponsored ballot measures… We are forever at the behest of the same
special interests in control now.
Liberal, NDP, Conservative, no one is interested in evolving our
democracy. The vice grip around out throats is only going to tighten
unless Canadians demand change. And now. Your one X, once every five
years, isn’t a democracy.
If this Marijuana issue doesn’t light-up Canadians to our serious
democratic deficiencies, I’m not sure what will. —Fed Up
This article appears in Aug 14-20, 2014.
Are you having a hard time finding pot? Is that what this is all about?
Did you know the price of a legally purchased gram of pot in Colorado is about $20? Oh, plus tax…
Democracy doesn’t work – because you can’t get what you want?
The voice of a new generation which sounds supiciously like the voice of every generation since the 60’s
Democracy doesn’t work because of greed, ego, and a thirst for power and control. The issues of legality surrounding marijuana and many other issues are the bi-products of the trifecta of human douchiness, not the root cause.
20 bucks, yowzah, that’s steep
Well I don’t really smoke anymore but I still think it should be legalized because it’s pretty much harmless (can even have health benefits when used properly) and recreationally people enjoy it. A lot of people.
If the examples of Washington and Colorado are any indications, there’s a piss-pot full of money to be made. And since the gubbmint just loves to treat personal vices as a source of tax revenue, in order to pay for the consequences of those vices, then perhaps legalization is the route to go. There will be no appreciable societal benefit, but bulging federal coffers might help minimize the damage.
The amount of people who smoke weed would not change, magically, with legalization. Still a very much available product right now. So what damage, Ivan? Seems to me the ‘damage’ is being done already, now we just have more money.
If the 20 bucks a gram in Colorado is going to be the mean market standard, then I don’t really foresee a drop in crime.
And when the “Y’all get a trophy just for showing up” generation are blessed with yet another barrier between them and the hard graft of oppressively dull reality I find it hard to envisage that Shining City on a Hill. Maybe I’m wrong – who knows? Since I’m on the down slope, I won’t have to deal with the consequences to any great extent.
To those that enjoy a puff now and then….it wouldn’t matter if the price doubled. As an example, take people who enjoy drinking, the price of alcohol has more than doubled in the last 20 years, are the liquor stores scared of lost revenue. Not in the least. The moment they unlock the door, customers are patiently waiting. The only problem I see is our guberment are too blind to see another source of revenue that they can either fritter away on stupidity or line their pockets.