Anyone who thinks Pennsylvania is close to legalizing pot must be smoking something
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Anyone who thinks Pennsylvania is close to legalizing pot must be smoking something
Philly.com's newish pro-pot columnist (pictured on Philly.com here ,on left, proudly breaking the law...where are the David Gregory cops?) is still lighting it up on the Internet:
Locally, there was one brief test last weekend of Obama’s “bigger fish” statement. More than 150 supporters gathered on Independence Mall near the Liberty Bell on December 15 for a demonstration called “Smoke Down Prohibition.” Activists, including a registered nurse, a cancer patient and myself addressed the crowd. At 4:20 p.m., most of those in attendance lit up marijuana joints.
National Park Service police and a contingent of Philadelphia City Police watched from across the street. The event took place on federal property in an area preserved for 1st Amendment protests. There were no arrests or citations.
Why demonstrate? Well, as Thomas Jefferson said “If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it; he is obligated to do so.”
OK -- but whatever happened to the big banks and the 1 Percent? Sigh. Meanwhile, there's an article speculating on the prospects for medical marijuana or any other type of pot legalization in Pennylvania. Basically, the commonwealth is engaged in a race to the bottom to see what will cross the finish line last -- medical marijuana or gay rights. I don't expect to live long enough to find out, as evidenced by this circa-1967 spokesman for Gov. Corbett:
"He believes that smoking marijuana is a crime, should remain a crime and that marijuana is a gateway drug," Harley said.
In other words, let them inhale fracking chemicals.
Comments (60)
Privatize the sale of liquor to let competition drive better price, service, and selection. Then convert the state liquor store infrastructure into regulated state weed stores. Free all the pot prisoners on work release and have them work at the state pot stores. Make health insurance pay for everyone's mellow.— Mr. Smith- Will:
Ask you pot lobby from CO, NJ, WA,CA, etc. to put some money in Corbette's pocket. Pot will be legal in PA way before your time expire on this earth :-). Corbette took money from Pedofiles, he is not going to turn down Pot lobby.
Pot is now an industry as it can collect money and lobby for greater inclusion in US. It's only a matter time before it becomes more prevalent in US.— Seed1 - US farmers need to join the pot lobby in promoting pot as power crop.
US still has high reputation around the world for great quality control. Every one in the world would rather buy US pot than Chinese or South American pot.
Pot can become a great cash crop if Obama stays silent for next few years and let the states make decisions on their own.
PA should legalize pot and keep the revenue here rather than letting it cross to NJ.
PA took years in grabbing the gambling revenue from NJ. It should not make the same mistake with pot.— Seed1 
I don't drink or do any drugs, that being said, all of it should be legal. Ron Paul said it best, and I paraphrase "If drugs were made legal tomorrow, would YOU do them?". I don't see why this shouldn't be an issue that liberals and the libertarian wing of the GOP can agree on. Stop building prisons. Legalize it. All of it. And tax the hell out of it.— wokmaster- And to continue that thought, Wok, let the taxes go to drug addition treatment. I think that if you take the taboo of drug use away and legalize them, FEWER people will use them. Of course, people will always use certain drugs, but moderation is the key. That and education. I don't know any heroin addicts, but I know many drug users. Why don't these people use heroin? Because they're not stupid. (BTW, I'm not one of the drug users, nor are most people I know.)
Just like I don't like our puritanical attitude toward alcohol. I was allowed small amounts growing up and the thought of a binge when I turned 21 seemed idiotic to me. I didn't drink any more on my 21st birthday than I did on my 20th. But many people I know did binge on their 21st birthday because it was the first time they were allowed to do it without sneaking around. Common sense is needed in these matters, not a "war".— Hamlet - Prison industry will not let go of the pot smokers easily.
Pot smokers are easy to manage than violent criminals, they produce more, and they do all of that for almost free for the prison industry.— Seed1 - @Hamlet - let the taxes go to drug addition treatment? You mean their not pulling up their SAT's? People will always find something to get their buzz with. In the 60's hobby shops sold model cars to build. Soon they sold more plastic glue than models to the 10 - 15 age group. Do you think they cared about the kid's health? Marijuana is a valuable, taxable & renewable commodity good for oil, fiber as well as medicinal uses. Of course Corbett is against it. He's got his hands full of gas company money and can't figure how to juggle more than one ball. The tax on legal marijuana could put this state and many others into cash cows. You'll more money from it - than from trying to stop it. End the idiocy of police chasing citizens for a plant. Tax it - then build jobs, schools, hospitals. — bad joe s
- It's here, it's all over the place, and a lot of time and money are spent trying to 'fight' this. It's time to wave the white flag (or the common sense flag) and legalize it, making it's use like that of alcohol and tobacco. A lot of things can lead to more drug use, including stress / depression. It's just too hard and too damn expensive to fight it any longer. However, laws that penalize users that feel they have a right to use it at work or while driving need to be clarified and strictly enforced similar to drunk driving laws. If you can't beat them, make them pay taxes! Big taxes! They don't call them sin taxes for nothing! Use the tax money to solve our big problems like the national debt and infrastructure issues. Finally, make it clear that it's use is a risk borne completely by the user; no suing the growers or distributors later when the accidents start, some get hooked on worse substances, or the medical folks discover it's worse than they thought.— elbrewador
- Nobody's told me yet how legalization will get rid of the gangs. This is not like prohibition, where you already had legitimate manufacturers and distributors of booze when Prohibition ended. The only people in position to capitalize on the legalization of marijuana are the criminals who have been selling it. And what about the policemen who risk their lives and have given their lives in the fight against these criminals? "Thanks anyway, but we're just too chickensquat to do without. Sorry about your mothers and fathers and children, you know, we're not really all that sorry. We just want to get high."— SteveMG
- Given that marijuana is already a HUGE cash crop even while illegal, you don't think that the cherished "free market" will step in and legalize it? Gangs compete against one another (violently) because they're the only ones in the market. Let's see a street gang try and compete with Phillip Morris. — JLB
- Wok...mentioning Ron Paul? Are you feeling well today? lol. I agree with your statements, but maybe not taxing the hell out of it. Our government needs to find ways of being responsible in spending, not being desperate to find any new form of revenue.— FletcherT
- Legalizing anything will never get rid of gangs. What would you tell any family sending a love one in to fight and possibly perish in pursuit of a lost cause? How many more good people should we give up fighting against the rising tide of POT consumption within this country with all it's associated violence? Free market economists tell us that consumers speaks with their wallets. The fact that POT is illegal isn't stopping many from obtaining the desired product at very high costs. Accept that the 'fight' here is lost and try to find a solution that works for the greater good of all. I don't like this either, not one bit. I've never tried even tobacco much less POT and I avoid building entrances where the smokers are lined up just to avoid the smell. I'm open to any real solution that is realistic and achievable. Status quo on this one appears to be throwing good resources (in money and more importantly people) in to at best achieve some sort of rapidly eroding puritanical and moral high ground that is no longer worth defending.— elbrewador
- Miracle on 34 Street - Macy and Gimble shake hands. Miracle at Philly.com - Wok quotes Ron Paul. You know, it is the holiday season! Sometimes you get so far left, you become right! New forms of revenue are needed to 'fix' this mess as are spending cuts. Even with proposed increases the budget is still very RED. I haven't seen any cuts that take us back to even; Simpson Bowles was on the right track (IMO).— elbrewador
- The Liberal Mind: If we legalize everything we will have no crime. Problem solved.— CD75
- I know 3 chronic unemployment milkers. Just can't seem to find a job. All 3 smoke weed. Probably just a coincidence though.— Bobski5000
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