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Massachusetts Introduces bill to legalize pot!

by HeySal
16 replies
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Don't even call this one politics! LOL.

A pair of bills -- House Bill 2929 and Senate Bill 1801 -- seeking to "tax and regulate the cannabis industry" have just been introduced in the Massachusetts legislature.

These proposals seek to legally regulate the commercial production and distribution of marijuana for adults over 21 years of age. Like California's proposal, they would impose licensing requirements and excise taxes on the retail sale of cannabis. By some estimates, these taxes could raise nearly $100 million in annual state revenue.

Adults who possess or grow marijuana for personal use, or who engage in the non-profit transfer of cannabis, would not be subject to taxation under the law.

NORML Blog Blog Archive NORML Breaking News: Marijuana Legalization Bills Introduced In Massachusetts!
  • Profile picture of the author valerieSONORA
    I agree about time. Cigs are legal, alcohol is legal, but this herb is not? And I don't even smoke it-would not take the risk of getting arrested-but I'm all for legalizing it.

    Hopefully it will catch on nation wide.

    Alcohol makes ppl mean-pot calms them down.
    Cigs cause cancer-pot is used to treat cancer patients at least in California.

    The criminalization of pot is stupid and illogical.

    I'm hoping soon it will be legalized in the whole country. And the gov. would benefit cause they would collect tax just like they do for cigs and alcohol.
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  • Profile picture of the author Patrician
    Good news if it happens.
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  • Profile picture of the author Star69
    Violent criminals belong in prison and deserve to serve every minute of their time, but people convicted of possession of a plant?! One that even grows in ditches in Arkansas? That is just absurd.

    Many states are strapped for money and people are starting to call for non-violent offenders to be released, allowing the state to not have to spend the money to feed and take care of them. Sounds like a good idea to me. Open up those cells for violent offenders. We don't need those types free to hurt and kill even more people. We do not need crowded prisons, and we shouldn't need to build even more.

    It would also help free up the court system and allow the judges to get caught up on their caseloads.

    I have long advocated legalizing marijuana. I have smoked it, I know what it's effect is on me and I can tell you for a FACT that alcohol is much worse.

    Nobody has ever killed themselves by smoking too much cannabis! I've never known anyone to puke after smoking grass.

    There is a big battle to completely phase out smoking tobacco. Can't smoke here, can't smoke there, etc. New laws further restricting where you can smoke cigarettes.

    Because of this, and the huge increase in taxes on cigarettes, many tobacco farmers are suffering. The companies don't need to buy as much tobacco because people aren't buying as many packs of cigarettes as they used to.

    So what's the problem with allowing tobacco farmers to grow cannabis, sell it to the companies (Brown and Williamson, Phillip Morris, etc.) so they can package it 20 cigarettes to a pack (no need to change their machinery or the size of the packaging) and sell it to the public just like they sell tobacco? The U.S. and state governments would slap their tax stamps on it just like they do with tobacco products and we wouldn't have a deficit!

    And there would also be no need for prison riots, either. Supply them with free marijuana cigarettes and they'd all be cool! The Blacks, the Hispanics, the Whites, they'd all sit together in peace for a change. Instead of doping them against their will, let them dope themselves...

    And hopefully, legalizing it would run a lot of the drug dealers out of business.

    Toke and be happy.

    Just because there is a law does not mean that law is right. I smoke whenever I please, the law be damned. I just wish the stuff wasn't so darned expensive! (Maybe once it's legalized and sold like cigarettes, the price will come down. I can only hope!)
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    • Profile picture of the author glchandler
      Although the medical marijuana statute in Oregon is just a few years old the state govt has finally managed to come up with a method to monetize it for the safety and good of the populace!

      "Oregonians have voted to authorize the use of medical marijuana, yet the Legislature has failed to provide adequate safeguards for citizens who have a legitimate need for it," said Rep. Carolyn Tomei (D-Milwaukie).

      Rep. Ron Maurer (R-Grants Pass) agrees, "Our current system isn't working, and we need to move quickly to protect patient safety."

      HB 3274 directs the State to establish and operate a marijuana production facility and distribute the drug to pharmacies for dispensing to cardholders and primary caregivers. The bill imposes a $98 per ounce tax on marijuana, which would cover the state's costs of operating and securing the production center.

      "Many patients have no assurance that their marijuana is not laced with pesticides or other toxic chemicals," said Rep. Jim Thompson (R-Dallas). "If passed into law, this legislation will implement safe standards to dispense the drug through a tightly-controlled system."


      Next state up will probably take over the entire industry...pay fieldworker wages to harvest and put the cartels out of business through business license fees!
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  • Profile picture of the author BlackWaterBlog
    Legalized pot = Less people in jail and prison for possession of a plant made by mother nature = more space for criminal who commit murder.
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    • Profile picture of the author Tina Golden
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      • Profile picture of the author ThomM
        Originally Posted by TMG Enterprises View Post

        This would also encourage more support for hemp, which could be a tremendous cash crop for the US. This has been off the table because short-sighted politicians have hemp and cannabis painted with the same brush and they're too afraid of backlash.

        Tina G
        That's been a pet peeve of mine for a good 20 years.
        The last official reason I heard was because hemp looks like 'marijuana' (sorry, I still hate that word). Now a hemp plant is tall with little to no branching typically with just a few leaves around the main stalk's nodes and a somewhat leafy top.


        Cannabis Indica looks more like a christmas tree.


        The people who govern this country will never accept the fact that legalizing it will help raise money and also stop a lot of the violence/problems that come along with keeping it illegal. Hopefully it will pass and that other states will at least accept medical marijuana.
        It was 75 years ago that Congress ended prohibition during that depression/recession to raise more money.
        Why do you think California and Mass. are considering it?
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  • Profile picture of the author Star69
    Oregon HB 3284 imposes a tax of $98 PER OUNCE?!! Who can afford that, in addition to the cost of the cannabis?

    Why don't they just come out and say it: "We want to make it so expensive that you will grow your own..."

    What idiots! That's what happens when the 'state' does it. Free enterprise can do it for a lot less.
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    • Profile picture of the author ThomM
      Originally Posted by Star69 View Post

      Oregon HB 3284 imposes a tax of $98 PER OUNCE?!! Who can afford that, in addition to the cost of the cannabis?

      Why don't they just come out and say it: "We want to make it so expensive that you will grow your own..."

      What idiots! That's what happens when the 'state' does it. Free enterprise can do it for a lot less.
      98 is rude, Cali. is just 50.
      I wonder how they plan on working that all out.
      Most all people buy from a distributor of sorts and many of them buy from a better connected distributor. Just like the produce you but at the supermarket.
      Successful growers only deal with one or two people.

      I can see prices dropping when legal.
      For one reason some of the technologies that are being experimented with now will have a chance to real take off. One is using L.E.D. lights. At first the benifits where in the electric use (80% less the H.I.D.'s) and longevity, bulbs last up to 7 years as opposed to 1 or 2 for H.I.D.'s. The restricting factors where start up cost, $1,800 for a L.E.D. system to replace a 1,000 watt H.I.D. system that will cost around $3 to 400.
      But cannabis growers like to experiment and build stuff, so now you can build the L.E.D. system at a fraction of the cost of the H.I.D. system and add UV light for better budding.

      If the cost goes down to set up and operate and the competition increases then final cost should go down.

      And that ends today's lesson in Cannabis Economics
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      As you are I was, as I am you will be
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      • Profile picture of the author myob
        Meanwhile, got me something pretty damn close to it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dan484
    The people who govern this country will never accept the fact that legalizing it will help raise money and also stop a lot of the violence/problems that come along with keeping it illegal. Hopefully it will pass and that other states will at least accept medical marijuana.
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  • Profile picture of the author valerieSONORA
    I was hoping some lawmakers would get some common sense, but that's unlikely. Still hope it passes in the whole usa, whatever the motive is.

    Just like I was hoping to get a package from Thom which never came
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  • Profile picture of the author Star69
    I sent a box of common sense to Congress and it came back as undeliverable.
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    I think it might be time to start baking some intense brownies and serving them as refreshments to Congress when they are passing bills. We might get other sensible legislation besides legal pot and hemp as a bonus, too.
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  • Profile picture of the author Star69
    If we only could, Sal! If we only could. Who'd need lobbyists then?
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