Monday, April 27, 2015
Growing Pot Next Door to Congress
Two months ago, Washington D.C. voters approved an initiative that allows adults to carry up to 2 ounces of marijuana on them, as well as grow up to 6 plants in their homes. Congress went along with the voters and began implementing the laws on Friday. Though, Congress has placed regulations of trade so you cannot buy or sell marijuana in D.C. Do you think that it is right to have weed legal in the nations capital, when it is illegal in the majority of the nation? Do you think the test in D.C. is just the beginning of marijuana being legal nation wide?
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I think that these types of test runs will become more common in the future. Many people are beginning to question the idea of keeping marijuana in the same category as heroin and other hardcore drugs, and because of this, more places will begin to experiment with decriminalizing or even legalizing marijuana. I think that marijuana possession should be treated more leniently than possession of other drugs, and I believe that it will not be too harmful for the District of Columbia to allow two ounces and six plants. I do not think that marijuana is any worse than substances such as alcohol, and as long as there are still some restrictions in place to prevent abuse of the drug, the experiment in Washington D.C. should be a success.
ReplyDeleteI think it is okay to have marijuana legal in the nations capital even though it is still illegal in the majority of the country. I agree with Raman, marijuana is no worse than alcohol so as long as they try their best took keep it out of the hands of minors then this could be a success. My only issue is that I don't think any adult needs 2 ounces and up to six plants. If you have that much marijuana then you are most likely a marijuana dealer. The amount aloud should be lowered and then this test in DC will prove to be successful.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Dan does have a point, the limits can be lower, because if the marijuana is solely for recreation, there is no need to have that much of it without the intent to sell. I agree that these types of tests will be seen in the future for other controversial issues. Washington D.C.is the nations capital but it is also a city like any other.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it matters whether marijuana is legalized in Washington D.C. or California. It just shows the trend that our country is gradually leaning towards and the fact that a very political city voted it through might prove that nationwide legalization isn't an unreasonable goal. I agree with Dan and Raman in that I don't think it's a dangerous as alcohol and less harmful than cigarettes so I don't see the problem with legalizing it in small quantities. I also agree with Dan in that I think the amount of marijuana they're allowing adults to have is a little too high and should be brought down.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alexa. I too don't think that it really matters where marijuana is legalized. I also agree with Dan and Raman about how marijuana is just as bad as alcohol and less harmful than cigarettes. I think that as more states legalize marijuana, other states will soon come to follow. I agree with Alexa again when she said legalizing it in small quantities is fine. I agree with Dan in that the amount that adults are allowed to have is too high. I think that they should lower the amount that people are allowed to have in their possession do that people don't abuse the drug.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure where I stand on the issue of legalizing marijuana. I don't think it shiuld be legal in the capital if it's not legal in all 50 states. Though it is not as dangerous as alcohol or cigarettes it is a totally different ball game so I don't think it can be compared to the two. Specifically because nicotine does not impair judgement or motor ability etc.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the fact that DC is the capital should mean that it should be sort of put on a pedistal for the rest of the nation. I also think that trying out making marijuana legal in a city and seeing the effect it has on crime and health would be a worthwhile experiment. People have generally mixed opinions about the benefits and drawbacks of using marijuana so I think that people should be able to do what they want regarding it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of the comments above. Marijuana is not harmful enough to be placed in the same category as hard drugs, like heroin, for example, so possession of small amounts of it for recreational use should be decriminalized. I agree that the legal amount of two ounces or six plants may be too lenient, but realistically, many people are going to buy, sell, and use marijuana whether it is legal to do so or not. In a city like D.C., which has epidemic levels of violent crime, law enforcement should be deployed to focus on stopping felons instead of arresting less serious offenders, like pot smokers. Variations of this law are likely to be implemented in states across the country, barring any noticeably negative effects in D.C.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it matters were marijuana is legal and where it isn't. Legalizing it in small quantities is fine but the amount should be lowered. As long as marijuana gets similar regulations as alcohol does I don't see too big a problem with it. It should of course be kept out of the hands of minors amd the amount should be lowered. The possibility of abuse of marijuana is the biggest issue so restrictions are the best option.
ReplyDeleteHaving near-legalized marijuana in Washington certainly makes a statement. This too foreshadows what will likely sweep the nation as more and more municipalities and states decriminalize and legalize marijuana. Obviously states like Pennsylvania (whose alcohol laws are arguable stricter than Colorado's marijuana laws) will want to see this "experiment" play out successfully for a while before making any drastic move.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of the comments above. Though DC is our capital, it is a city like any other in the US. The nation is probably going to gradually start legalizing or at least decriminalizing marijuana, so testing some areas out first seems reasonable. Like we learned in class, the states are often laboraties of democracy, and our political leaders will be able to see the positive or negative effects of legalized marijuana so that they may make a national law about it.
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