GCASA director suggests marijuana should be legalized

No, really?!

This has only been an established fact for years, yet it's still illegal.

Well-get the bill to congress and we could always buy the votes to make It pass(ya know-well your state will be the only supplier of Topeka gold or your state gets all the new contracts for rolling papers.

"Dave Markham 4 weeders of America"

"This really amuses me on a miserable winters day"

guess It's more entertaining than a pic of a fire hydrant

Seriously, is there not anything more newsworthy around here than this? How about a tribute to the Albion man who died for his country??

Although that story is very sad and certainly newsworthy, this site generally covers Genesee County. I was actually quite surprised to see Mr. Markham's views on legalizing marijuana - a view that many on this site agree with. However, raising the drinking age to 35 is just silly. Never gonna happen.

If marijuana was made legal, what makes him think that people will use it instead of alcohol? Many use both now with one being illegal. Dimes to dollars, with both legal, both will be used.

One of the problems with our country. Marijuana, pot, grass, should have been legalized decades ago. From Refer Madness to Up in Smoke, pot has always been seen as a gateway or a drug that makes you go insane. Lets fast forward. Crack cocaine, crystal meth. have both proved marijuana should be legalized.
Their have been more crimes with these two drugs and more violence than marijuana has ever produce. How about Oxy-Contin, or the many subscription drugs that have ruined The United States. Ask, Judy Garland, Jimi Hendrix, Anna Nicole Smith or Michael Jackson.
Today's politicians are living in a fairy tale world, blaming marijuana for the problems of today's social ills. Lets not forget demon alcohol. Blamed for many more deaths than marijuana, plus its legal for anyone over twenty one years old. Older politicians are one thing, any politician, who graduated High School when Late President Regan became President, need to sit down, hold town hall meetings, ask constituents, what type of bill and tax, can they come up with, to get this mindless and ridiculous issue to rest,and move.

In my opinion, anyone that wants to legalize weed needs a check-up from the neck up!! It will only be one more legal thing that we can crank up on and go out driving around in our gas guzzling, idiotic SUV's and kill people cuz we are too stoned to notice or even care that we just squished a little boy on a bike. Kiss my grits!!! Get real and wake up people!! It makes me mad to see this country go down the toilet faster than a used big mac!!!

I knew it! Mindy Jones is really Jerome Grasso! lol :)

Fritz, anyone who wants to smoke pot already does. The legality or illegality of it is not even a factor. If you think that legalizing it will suddenly cause a rise in the number of potheads terrifying everyone, you're wrong.

You don't get "cranked up" on marijuana. If you smoke it you tend to head for the couch with a PB&J sandwich and a large glass of milk. You don't head for the gas guzzler to go jamming around terrorizing everyone. I think you've been watching too many anti-marijuana propaganda movies and are ignorant of the facts.

Try to move beyond the mentality of the 50's and 60's. Marijuana is neither insidiously detrimental to the well being of the individual smoker or to society. Many professional people have realized its beneficial properties despite other peoples ignorance.

Howard, marijuana may not have been legal when the country was founded but it wasn't illegal either.

http://www.drugwarrant.com/articles/why-is-marijuana-illegal/

In 1930, a new division in the Treasury Department was established — the Federal Bureau of Narcotics — and Harry J. Anslinger was named director. This, if anything, marked the beginning of the all-out war against marijuana.

There are many reasons why marijuana is illegal and none of them are reasonable. Tossing people into jail for marijuana possession is a crime by itself as far as I'm concerned.

I don't smoke marijuana specifically because it's illegal. If it was legal, I would probably have some once in awhile, much as I have a drink once in awhile. I'd feel pretty stupid having to explain to the judge why a 50 year old man feels smoking reefer is so important he'd risk getting busted, about as stupid as I'd feel getting a DWI. When I was young, I didn't care as much and didn't have as much to lose. I agree it should be legal, and people who treat it irresponsibly should be dealt with the same way irresponsible alcohol users are. You're always going to have people with addictions and substance abuse issues, legalizing marijuana isn't going to change that in any way.

Dave, that's the most ridiculous thing I've heard you say. "You would if it were legal but you don't because it isn't." Huh? If you don't smoke it now, why would you if it became legalized? It makes no sense at all.

I've had morphine in the hospital for kidney stones and know perfectly well why people with no self control get hooked on heroin. It was probably the best buzz I've ever had and I enjoyed the crap out of it but would I do it if it ever became legal? The answer: "No". I could do it now if I wanted to even though it's illegal so why would I if it became legal? It's already a choice.

Like Howard said, he wouldn't smoke marijuana even if it became legal. He's already made his choice and I doubt the law had anything to do with it. Howard realizes that the choice is already there for everyone to make and people will do what they will regardless of the law so lets stop making people into criminals.

Take responsibility for yourself. If you're going to use marijuana, do it responsibly. Medicinal benefits aren't just for pain relief, nausea relief or for appetite stimulation. It's also medicinally used the same way as prescription medications are for anxiety or sleep disorders.

Like any other medication or even alcohol, abuse should not be the goal. Just because you enjoy something occasionally doesn't mean you're abusing it. Dave says he has a drink once in a while which is fine. I have a beer just about every day. One or two consumed over a period of hours and I enjoy it immensely. I simply can't see marijuana being any different for those who choose to smoke it.

The police have bigger fish to fry than to worry about catching people with marijuana. If you could grow your own, you wouldn't need to buy it from some dealer. The black market value would disappear the same way that it did for alcohol when prohibition was repealed.

Four points:
1) It has always been my suspicion that the market for more destructive drugs such as crack cocaine and crystal meth- as well as the resurgency of heroin are directly linked to the physical size of the drug. I.E.- it is easier to conceal 100 packets of crack than a kilo of marijuana. Obviously the highs provided by various drugs are different, and personal choice is a factor. I contend that if marijuana was legal, crack and meth would decline.

2) A significant segment of the population is drawn to recreational drugs because they are illegal. It's the outlaw image.

3) The resources we devote to depriving drug users of their drugs is wasted. It would be cheaper and more effective to offer free in-patient addiction treatment- along with legalizing marijuana and decriminalizing possession of other drugs. The collateral damage caused by drug use and drug sales remain prosecuted under existing laws. It serves no purpose to jail users.

4) The legalization of marijuana would negatively impact the profitability of all illegal drugs. This is key to curtailing illegal drug sales; take away the sellers' profit.

It's not ridiculous, Doug, it happens to be the way I feel about it. It must get boring for you to always be the smartest guy in the room. I agree with you though let's stop making criminals out of people over this. I smoked a boatload of marijuana in my 20's, I enjoyed it. I think I'd still enjoy it now. I stopped because as I grew older, started a career, raised a family, bought a house etc etc, I didn't see getting busted or fired from a job as worth the risk. I think I am taking responsibility for myself, and although I don't agree with the law, I'm still not willing to pay the penalty for breaking it.

Dave, I wasn't trying to insult you and I really don't think I'm the smartest guy in the room. It still sounds ridiculous though because I know for a fact that laws don't stop anyone from doing anything. If you wanted to recreationally or medicinally use marijuana, you would, regardless of the law. You even gave reasons why you quit smoking it and the law was the last part of your decision. You quit for the right reasons, to be a responsible parent and spouse.

I don't come to these conclusions from being the smartest guy in the room. I come to these conclusions because it's logical.

OK, I'm tired of this issue anyway, as are most people

Doug, there's no logical disconnect in what Dave said. The point of laws isn't to put folks in jail, it's to deter them from doing certain things by applying stiff penalties. You're ridiculing him for being a true law-abiding citizen because apparently you think that no one gives a damn what the law says.

Dave Olsen's personal choice to live by the law is not so unusual. Despite the existence of detox kits and home remedies for beating drug tests, the threat of losing one's livelihood over a positive-test is a deterent. I know pot smokers who have given their paychecks higher priority than weed. On the other hand, most companies only test new hires and screw-ups. Typically, indulgers get clean for the initial test and revert after they are hired.

There are potheads and partyers and occasional users- no different from drinkers. Some folks can't get out of bed without a bong hit, then there are weekend bingers, and those who smoke on rare occasions. Where one fits on the use-scale depends on one's circle of friends and addictive-personality ranking. The use-scale also determines whether one can opt-out when a job or personal issue competes.

The wildcards are those who mix recreational drugs with politics, the Hunter S. Thompson-types whose dope-smoking translates as a proclamation of libertine values.

Bob Marley and Jerry Garcia are dead. High Times magazine's subscriber-numbers have dropped from 213,000 to 150,000. The 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reports 14.1 million Americans smoke pot at least once a month. A 1969 Gallup Poll estimated that 10,000,000 had smoked marijuana. According to NORML, 786,545 Americans were arrested for marijuana violations in 2005- 88% of whom were prosecuted on possession without intent to sell. NORML also noted that the arrest figures for 2005 represent an increase of 200% over 1990 figures. A 2009 Angus Reid poll indicates 53% of Americans favor legalizing marijuana.

Hi Doug, Sorry so long to reply, been out of town. I guess you are right when you say those wanting to smoke already do, and I am not against medical use for those who want to get it that really truely need it. I am only worried about the teens that might use it and then get caught up in that whole "gateway drug" stuff. I have tried marijuana in the past. (twice, the first time, nothing happened, as I guess is the case for most people, the second time I was dumb enough to drive after smoking it and I was so out of it I ran a red light and stopped on a green.) That is what broke me of marijuana and other drugs (never tired other drugs) including alcohol. I guess my personal expierience is what scares me for the rest of the people should there be a flood of younger newbies. I will still promote the legitimate medical use as I had a step-sister that benefieted very much from it durring her battle with leukemia.