Well, my first post here. Ive read this whole damn thread, and I joined the 420 community just to be able to post in it lol (ive lurked it from time to time).
Legalization, ahh, think for a second. Who wouldve thought that we (which I assume most of us "we" are growers) would be having this discussion. Incredible times. Go figure, as soon as the government needs money they finally start seeing things our way lol.
Well, I have alot of different feelings about legalization, as well as alot of concerns about this bill in particular (funny how a bill in California IS going to have a huge national impact if its passed).
First of all, im a grower. And im not gona lie for the sake of security, I make a living off of my girls. Hope I dont get banned for saying that, but I feel its important that you know where im coming from and what helps shape my opinions (afterall, everyone has motives, right?)
Lets start with the proposed bill. California lead the way with medical marijuana, with 14 (I think?) other states following in its footsteps, and arguably learning from its mistakes (other states seem to be more controlled then California, no offense intended). This bill looks as if it could have the same effect if its passed. California will be a social experiment for all of America to see, so its up to you guys on the west coast to show the rest of the country that legalization isnt so bad (God I hope you hippies dont mess that up, just messin
). But on a serious note, the future of marijuana legalization is in your guys hands, and more specifically how effective that bill is at actually controlling marijuana and its social problems (which dont kid yourself, I love the herb, but their are always irresponsible poeple out there).
On top of that, I have no idea how the federal government will respond to this bill if/when its passed. Medical marijuana is one thing, but to allow recreational use would require a complete rewriting of the Controlled Substances Act. I think you may have some luck with the current administration, but what if the next one is a conservative administration (which it very well could be)? Other states will also be looking to see how our federal government responds, and it will play a large role in whether or not they write their own legislation. Also your going to see a huge problem with people smuggling marijuana into other states, in essence, California could very well become a launching point for many people who run marijuana based businesses (legal or otherwise). Then again, from what I hear, that might not be a huge change lol.
Thats about all I could think of on that note. As a grower, I love being able to grow cannabis as a profession, and I hope to continue it into the future. I really dont care about how much money I make, as long as I have enough to keep my grow space up and running and provide for me and my wife (honestly, the grow room cost more to maintain than I spend on living lol). I dont know if I will be able to compete with large corporations if/when nationwide legalization occurs, but I damn well intend on trying. Itll be a sad day for growers if large corporations do control the market, but then again, good things never last forever, right?
On the plus side for legalization, atleast so many people wouldnt be harassed by cops and other authorities, or even thrown in prison over a simple plant. The war on drugs is one of the saddest things to happen to America, and its caused alot of people to lose confidence not only in our nations law enforcement, but also the very constitution that our nation is based on. In the end im on the fence, so ima just sit back and see how you guys do. Remember, the whole nation is watching
