[Craig Vernon]

Originally Posted by MrChip72

Probably close to 100% of pot smokers will vote YES. Most people that don't care either way but want the tax revenue for the state will vote YES. I have a feeling it will likely pass.

Wouldn't it be nice if all collected taxes had to reduce another. As it is there are always more with little or no accountability.

[Vickim]

Originally Posted by Switter

It's really not like alcohol. I know, I had smoked it for many years. People who make this comparison usually have never smoked it.

Something to keep in mind is there is currently no "instant" way to detect if someone is under the influence of marijuana while driving.

That said, the main reason I will vote no is a little bit different probably than most people. Marijuana is a motivation killer and it makes you far less likely to engage with the people around you (like your family). I've seen it time and time again. But worst of all, the vast majority of young people who smoke it are men. Once we sanction it, will more young men smoke it? I don't know the answer but we already have a crisis of young men dropping out a society. How many people in The villages have their adult male children living with them compared with female children? How many of those have mental health issues or substance-abuse problems? It's a vicious circle, lack of opportunity leads to substance-abuse leads to mental health issues leads to inability to function leads to even fewer opportunities. I feel legalization will disproportionately impact young men and make an already bad situation worse.

I'm not saying voting no is going to change this but making it more accessible is definitely not going to help.

I am also an ex pot smoker. I will vote NO. The pot today is NOT your grandparents weed!
Sometimes, I wonder if the legalization of MJ is what is causing a lot of the psychosis we see today. They don’t call it “dope” for nothing ! THC levels are way too high! Maybe less damaging than alcohol but with what has been “engineered” people are ending up in ERs! and honestly the goverment has NOT spend money on studying it because of its classification so do we actually KNOW that claim ? Colorado was the first and it has NOT stopped illegal sales! Look at the states that have legalized it and it is clear the outcome has been anything but positive and once it’s been legalized ain’t no going back ! Delta 8 is legal and wayyyy less THC ! If you feel the need

[MrChip72]

Originally Posted by Vickim

I am also an ex pot smoker. I will vote NO. The pot today is NOT your grandparents weed!
Sometimes, I wonder if the legalization of MJ is what is causing a lot of the psychosis we see today. They don’t call it “dope” for nothing ! THC levels are way too high!

Based on your point of view, voting NO makes zero sense then as regulated pot has a regulated THC level that is much lower. Voting NO means that people will still be buying pot that is WAY too strong and sometimes laced with fentanyl to get people hooked on opiates like heroin. This has contributed to why recently legalized states have lowered crime rates.

[Eg_cruz]

Originally Posted by JGibson

It's on the ballot this November.

It's estimated the tax revenue in the first year would be over $500 million and much more in the following years.

21 years of age would be the age limit and no cultivating on your own.

Medical marijuana is already legal in Florida and seems to obtain approval is a low threshold and really just about the money for doctor fees.

For those who say it's a gateway drug well alcohol or any mind altering medication can also be a gateway drug.

Yea or Nay on Amendment 3 for marijuana legalization?

Yea 100%

[Eg_cruz]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Marijuana is legal because anyone can buy it. They just need to pay a doctor. If the law passes, you won't need to pay a doctor.

Well not really. Medical marijuana will still be available and you will still need a doctor the big differences the medical marijuana is not tax and the recreational marijuana will be.

[Eg_cruz]

Originally Posted by eyc234

Nay. People smoke marijuana to get high, if it did not get you high off one joint you would not do it. Then you get in a car and drive, not safe and yes people do have wrecks when high due to impairment. You can have one drink and not be drunk. Also the tax money will go into the general fund not be earmarked for schools or law enforcement as the ads tout. Just like the lottery very little of the tax revenue will be seen by the school systems. You also have foreign crime syndicates running a lot of the "legal grow" facilities in the US. But one good thing is the number of guns on the street would go down since you cannot own a gun and do drugs.

By this statement all the bars in The Villages should be closed. People in TV start drinking at 10:30 am and it is very abused on a daily basis. After they belly up to the bar they get in their cars and drive home.

[Eg_cruz]

Originally Posted by Michael 61

I watched marijuana legalization destroy Denver Colorado.

That is not what did Denver ….look at the current government there that’s what did Denver in. And yes I am from Denver/ Littleton.

[Eg_cruz]

Originally Posted by Remembergoldenrule

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) advocates for careful consideration of potential immediate and downstream effects of marijuana policy changes on children and adolescents. Marijuana legalization, even if restricted to adults, may be associated with (a) decreased adolescent perception of marijuana’s harmful effects, (b) increased marijuana use among parents and caretakers, and (c) increased adolescent access to marijuana, all of which reliably predict increased rates of adolescent marijuana use and associated problems.1-3 Marijuana use during pregnancy, occurring at increasing rates, raises additional concerns regarding future infant, child, and adolescent development.4-6

Marijuana Legalization
Long-term use of marijuana can lead to:

Cannabis Use Disorder
The same breathing problems as smoking cigarettes (coughing, wheezing, trouble with physical activity, and lung cancer)
Decreased motivation or interest which can lead to decline in academic or occupational performance
Lower intelligence
Mental health problems, such as schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, anger, irritability, moodiness, and risk of suicide

Marijuana and Teens.

Highlights
Cannabis legalization leads to increased cannabis use among adults
Legalization may have negative implications for minors via effects on parents
Critical lack of causally informative studies with parents and young children

Causal Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Parents, Parenting, and Children: A Systematic Review - PMC

Now do the same research on alcohol. Alcohol is very abused at all ages. People start drinking at a very young age in fact alcohol is usually the first thing kids abuse, and if you go to any bar in The Villages, you’ll see that seniors abuse alcohol on a daily basis.

[Eg_cruz]

Originally Posted by GATORBILL66

Vote No, we have enough crazies on the road now. Let them go to another state if they want to get high!

And what should we do with all the bars in TV? Alcohol is a controlled substance that’s very abused out here and yet nobody seems to have a problem with all the drinking. All the happy hours encouraging you to drink all the outdoor bars so people can see everybody drinking that’s perfectly OK……..right

[Byte1]

Best excuse that little children make when they do something wrong: "well he did it too." Another is "well, they will get it anyway so why not make it legal?" Kind of like, "well, they will just build a tunnel if you put a wall up and come in, so why not just give them a free cell phone, food card and air transport to wherever they wish to go in the U.S.?" Sounds to me like humans would rather make excuses and overlook bad or dangerous behavior than act like adults and make hard decisions. So afraid of offending someone or making someone angry. That's NOT what America is all about. We take the hard course and make hard decisions.
Like alcohol, there is nothing good about pot for recreation. I can compromise on making pot a civil offense and give fines and/or education as a penalty, instead of incarceration. But, I will always vote NO to a free ticket to the destruction of my country. If you need pot to make you feel good, then you are a weak person. If you need pot for medical reasons, then consult a doctor about other, better forms of medicine. Just because folks break the law everyday, doesn't mean that we should change the law to accommodate them.

[Byte1]

Originally Posted by Eg_cruz

And what should we do with all the bars in TV? Alcohol is a controlled substance that’s very abused out here and yet nobody seems to have a problem with all the drinking. All the happy hours encouraging you to drink all the outdoor bars so people can see everybody drinking that’s perfectly OK……..right

So, we should legalize DUI? Is that what you are advocating? Since driving after drinking is done all the time, we should legalize it?

[Eg_cruz]

Originally Posted by Carl123

Absolutely NOT!! As a retired Police Officer from Colorado, I saw first hand the effects of legalized marijuana. Every statistical category of crime increased, from petit theft to armed robbery and even murder. Colorado politicians also made the same promises of increasing public safety, fixing roads and more money for school's. To this day, 11 years later, NONE of those promises have come to fruition! Also, the cartel’s moved in, to grow their own weed to sell for much less than what the dispensary’s are selling it for.

Someone is getting rich from the tax base of legalized weed and benefiting, but I can assure you, it’s not the citizens who were handed the same bag of veiled promises…VOTE NO!!!

So was the problem the selling of pot or the government. From your statement it sounds more like a GOVERNMENT PROBLEM NOT DOING what they should be doing not the individual person buying their pot. Maybe you show Vote no to CO current government. Because in fact the government is what let you down, Denver was a defund the police city isn’t that what pulled them down not the selling of gummies…….Living life is easy with your eyes closed. Put the blame where it belongs. Yes I am from Littleton and the current government is killing the state not legally buying pot.

[Two Bills]

Probably be a high turnout for the election, and a first time vote, among street dealers.

[opinionist]

NO on all amendments. Especially the fraud that is amendment #4.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Byte1

So, we should legalize DUI? Is that what you are advocating? Since driving after drinking is done all the time, we should legalize it?

The use of alcohol is regulated. There are laws that you have to obey, if you choose to possess, buy, or drink alcohol. If you choose to disobey those laws, there are consequences.

The same can apply to the use of cannabis. Driving under the influence isn't exclusive to alcohol. It's not exclusive to illegal drugs. It's not exclusive to the accidental misuse or intentional abuse of legally prescribed drugs.

If you need valium to control anxiety, and your doctor has prescribed it, and you took it correctly - but you were out on a hot day and didn't hydrate enough or eat any food, then that valium is going to impair your ability to drive. If you get into an accident, you would be charged with driving while impaired.

The same goes for any substance you take, whether legally or illegally. If you are impaired and cause an accident, get into a fight, rob a bank, jaywalk, break into someone's house, shout racial epithets at your neighbor - you can be charged with disorderly conduct, driving while impaired, or any of the OTHER laws that apply to people who do stupid stuff while - impaired.

The ONLY difference between these criminal behaviors when you're using cannabis vs. any legal substance (like alcohol) is - cannabis is not legal. That's it. The behaviors are criminal and chargeable offenses, REGARDLESS. Making cannabis legal will STILL result in criminal charges if you violate those laws while you are affected by the THC.