Well said! I have a friend who was growing it in his attic to sell (illegally) and was quite an expert in the science of growing the best strains. He moved to California and got a really job with a grower. ( he was delivering pizzas before that) he loves it. Not all pot dealers are low life herione addicts like in the movies. Many are just trying to make a living. Like bootleggers during prohibition many became legitimate businesses.

To counter some of the false claims, I figured I would make a list of facts. A great read is this from the CATO institute. They reviewed tons of studies and real world data. A long read so here is their conclusion. I have added additional items they did not cover.

"The absence of significant adverse consequences is especially striking given the sometimes‐​dire predictions made by legalization opponents."
https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis...ate#conclusion

All laws regarding legalizing also include stiff penalties for illegal sales, including corruption of a minor.

Pot and coke are vastly different things. The biggest being coke is addictive and pot is not.

It has been proven pot is less of a gateway drug than alcohol is when both are legal. When alcohol was illegal, it was far more of a gateway drug than it is when legal. Pot is the same.

CBD is legal to buy already. No need to buy CBD at a dispensary unless you want it mixed with pot.

The crime rate does not increase with legal pot, only when the idiots in charge also legalize the addictive drugs as well.

Traffic accidents do not increase either. It has been found many would be drunk drivers become stoned drivers creating a net zero change in accidents post legalization.

Pot use increases slightly after legalization and quickly tapers off. With the national view that pot is not so bad, the rate of pot use is climbing in every state. Legalization barely changes it.

Obviously, the justice system's burden is reduced, but that is the effect of legalizing anything.

Vote your conscious, but do it informed. Pot having very little effect on anything but revenue is irrelevant if you are against all mind altering drugs, including alcohol.

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!!!

This is the type of subject that folks will never 100% agree on. Not gonna waste time with the reasons, not gonna try and convince others. But if we are doing a tracking poll, you can put me in the no column.

The Mexican cartel thanks you! I’m so glad you’re no longer a cop.

Yep. Make it legal it’s easy to get anyway.

1. Car insurance may go up? Florida has the most uninsured drivers at 20%. Legalize pot and you may see an increase in car accidents? Pot does reduce reaction times and contributes to poor decision making so it's just another contributing factor. If you're hit twice in 3 years you'll not be able to get insurance for 3 years even if those 2 accidents are minor and not your fault. Florida is a no fault state. I was hit as a passenger while at a stop sign and then hit at a stoplight. Neither accident was my fault but my insurance was canceled. I had to buy a motorcycle to get around for 3 years. My insurance was double when I was able to get it again.
2. The last house I owned in The Villages, my neighbor behind me smoked pot and I couldn't open my windows on cool nights because it would fill the house up if the wind was blowing it my way. There was a 6 ft fence between us. He smoked on his back lanai. The first time it happened I had to leave the house because it was too late to do anything about. My house was full of skunk odor for hours. I guess the wind was blowing just right that evening?
3. Have you been to a state that Legalized pot? Everywhere you go may smell like a skunk. I experienced this in Colorado. If you don't like the smell of cigarettes and cigars you probably won't like pot either.

I'm ok with medical marijuana and voted for it as I believe it may help those who are suffering. Legalizing it for pure enjoyment is not something I can vote for.

Hard no for me.

Don't confuse correlation with cause. What you state does not necessarily mean cannabis CAUSES psychotic disorders, only a correlation.

Archaic military law. Would he have been depressed if he had received a reasonable sentence? Jail for pot....now that is crazy.

None of this is true. From the former Gov of Colorado: “ When Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) served as governor of Colorado in 2012, he unsuccessfully tried to convince voters to reject a ballot initiative to legalize marijuana, in large part because he worried it would encourage more use by young people. But with years of data now generated by his state and other that have since enacted legalization, he’s admitting that his concern was unfounded.”

A very big problem for the entire industry is that the amount of government regulations creates a huge barrier to entry, making it very expensive up front to start up a business. Couple that with the fact that it’s becoming legal in many states, but illegal federally, severely limits start up entrepreneurs financing sources. Since banks are federally chartered, and FDIC insured, they can not lend money to any business involved in the industry. Unfortunately, only very deep pocketed and big established, often nefarious organizations, tend to have the cash on hand necessary to enter the business. It has crowded out the little guy and local farmer.

I’ll be voting yes. It helps so many people and here in Fl. It’s all analyzed by a third party lab to ensure it’s safe.

I’ve seen so much incorrect data by people saying they will vote no.

You should start attending the villages medical marijuana club meetings and learn how much it can help you. There are hundreds of villagers using it to solve a multitude of problems naturally without prescription pills.

Absolutely beneficial to seniors; sleep, pain, reduces inflammation, blood pressure and I’m hearing better O’s for women. If used responsibly it would be a nice complement to your better well being.

I lived in Colorado Springs for 20 years and was in Denver weekly if not more during those years - I ABSOLUTELY saw an obvious and rapid deterioration of downtown Denver the same year pot became legalized. The homelessness problem exploded, as young people from around the country flooded the public parks to camp out and smoke pot in public. I first-hand witnessed restaurants and small, businesses flee downtown Denver, as the “riff raff” associated with the public pot smoking took over the downtown. Ask most Coloradans, and downtown Denver quickly became a “no go” zone, after previously being a mostly safe and clean area to dine and socialize.