Originally Posted by Cindy619 (Post 2342494)

Top 10 Addictions - What Are The Most Common Addictions?

1. Nicotine
2. Alcohol
3. Marijuana
4. Opiods
5. Cocaine
6. Inhalants
7. Methamphetamine
8. Heroin
9. Benzodiazepine
10. Barbituarates

Originally Posted by AMB444 (Post 2343126)

This is my main concern.

It's for "home use" only? So you can get stoned but can't leave your house until you feel sober?

What if they injure themselves/anyone else in a car accident?

What if they show up to work stoned (doctor, nurse, city bus driver)? Is an employer able to legally fire them?

Just a lot of things that don't seem to be addressed yet.

Originally Posted by fishon (Post 2343341)

Vote yes and partake of the weed and you’ll be in the same boat as Hunter Biden.

Originally Posted by AMB444 (Post 2343126)

This is my main concern.

It's for "home use" only? So you can get stoned but can't leave your house until you feel sober?

What if they injure themselves/anyone else in a car accident?

What if they show up to work stoned (doctor, nurse, city bus driver)? Is an employer able to legally fire them?

Just a lot of things that don't seem to be addressed yet.

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2343373)

Those things are already addressed with a little phrase that some people like to call "operating while impaired." And employers already have policies that prohibit drug or alcohol use or impairment on the job. That isn't going to change.

Originally Posted by jimkerr (Post 2343359)

What if they got drunk and then went to work! OMG!

Originally Posted by JGibson (Post 2343268)

What about all the people who are popping Xanax driving and going to work?

Oh, it's okay because Big Pharma is pumping out that chemical pill, and the pharmaceutical can do no wrong.

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2343258)

There IS, however, a way to instantly tell if someone is "driving while impaired." Those balance tests, checking pupils, and "touch your nose" tests can determine if someone is impaired. They don't even need to be doing drugs or alcohol. They might simply have chosen not to put in their contact lenses that morning and can't see well enough to drive.

Driving under the influence of cannabis is just as potentially dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol or any other mind-altering substance, and would be treated as such. If you had a glass of wine an hour ago, then you're probably fine to drive. If you took a drag off a joint an hour ago, you might be fine - or might not. HOW you drive will determine that. Do your drugs, take your chances, accept the risk of causing an accident or attracting the attention of the police.

The drug being legal or illegal has ZERO effect on how well or poorly you drive.

Originally Posted by MrChip72 (Post 2342614)

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.

Originally Posted by Switter (Post 2342996)

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.

Originally Posted by Vickim (Post 2343815)

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!

Originally Posted by JGibson (Post 2341762)

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?

Originally Posted by retiredguy123 (Post 2341797)

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.

Originally Posted by eyc234 (Post 2341922)

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.

Originally Posted by Michael 61 (Post 2341924)

I watched marijuana legalization destroy Denver Colorado.

Originally Posted by Remembergoldenrule (Post 2341984)

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

Originally Posted by GATORBILL66 (Post 2342026)

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

Originally Posted by Eg_cruz (Post 2344089)

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

Originally Posted by Carl123 (Post 2342043)

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!!!

Originally Posted by Byte1 (Post 2344091)

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

Originally Posted by Two Bills (Post 2344094)

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

Originally Posted by Byte1 (Post 2344091)

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

Originally Posted by Laurawilcox (Post 2342634)

Do you want the squares smelling of pot? We lived in Denver for over 30 years. We were one of the first states that legalized marijuana and we couldn’t wait to get out based on what it became. It is not your college day drug. It is rank and strong. We had medical marijuana before but that didn’t have the impact likely because it was still a stigma to smoke in public and not easy to get for those who came for the legal version. Denver grew substantially with 21 years old - 30 all there for the dispensaries. Many also into other drugs, it was the beginning of the city smelling like skunk all of the time. Few cared about work and instead hung around corners looking for handouts.

You can’t get out of your car near most shops without the stench. It is legal to smoke it on your porch next to the elementary schools with the kids walking by and it’s much harder to explain to your high school student why it’s not something you should do when it’s legal. Everyone can try it now and many more do. It is simple to get. College kids were at parties eating dispensary sold cookies, by the way a small piece of it is a full pot serving, eating more than they should and walking off of rooftops at parties in downtown and on campuses. Do you see Wildwood and Leesburg being different sort of folk?

That age group seems to have enough to deal with these days. Imagine your spring break crowd with easily available dope? It draws them here! Denver had folks fly in for $500 a pop to get high in limos and drive around for pot tasting at the dispensaries.

Before you vote envision your next day at the beach sitting in fumes, or at the squares listening to music with the smoke wafting over you. The non-dopers soon stop coming and welcome to Denver, at those venues they are all that’s left. Once it starts you will not enjoy those places again.

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2344208)

Yeah you know street dealers, smugglers, and illegal growers are going to be voting in droves to make sure this bill doesn't pass.

They want it to remain illegal, because this is THEIR profits the government is talking about.

Originally Posted by MorTech (Post 2344430)

If you want to end drug gangs and murdering violence then the only way to do that is to end drug laws. Every gangster will be voting to keep drugs illegal...Including government gangsters.

End drug laws and gang violence will just go away immediately.

Originally Posted by MorTech (Post 2344430)

If you want to end drug gangs and murdering violence then the only way to do that is to end drug laws. Every gangster will be voting to keep drugs illegal...Including government gangsters.

End drug laws and gang violence will just go away immediately.

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 2344495)

This thread is interesting to me. I think it shows who currently is smoking it. I don't even drink any more. When the doctor tells you to wear shoes with backs so you don't trip and fall, I figure adding something like this to the mix wouldn't be a good choice to improve balance.

I think there will be an opportunity for the low-lifes and scallywags to knock you down and take your stash, because those rascals don't want to work. If you take away guns, only good people would follow the rule. If you legalize pot, there will be those impaired driving their cars at you.

There isn't an easy fix to this issue.

You can't legalize morality.

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2344486)

Not "end" them. But "change" them. Regulate drugs. Just the way alcohol and its use is regulated. Legal to buy IF you're of age and produce a valid ID, in the appropriate retail venue (such as a liquor store or wine section in the supermarket). Legal to use IN PRIVATE or other designated areas. Not legal to drive while using, or drive under the influence. And if you get into an accident while under the influence, it is your fault, your insurance company will want a word with you, and you get a ticket and/or jail time for DUI. No matter what the drug. From alcohol to zolpidem, prescription or over the counter, or even home-made.

Originally Posted by JRcorvette (Post 2344577)

People are going to do it so let’s make it Legal and Safe. That’s just common sense which there is a lack of these days.

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 2344495)

This thread is interesting to me. I think it shows who currently is smoking it. I don't even drink any more. When the doctor tells you to wear shoes with backs so you don't trip and fall, I figure adding something like this to the mix wouldn't be a good choice to improve balance.

I think there will be an opportunity for the low-lifes and scallywags to knock you down and take your stash, because those rascals don't want to work. If you take away guns, only good people would follow the rule. If you legalize pot, there will be those impaired driving their cars at you.

There isn't an easy fix to this issue.

You can't legalize morality.

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2344857)

You also can't prohibit judgmental opinions about people you've never met.

1. There are ALREADY impaired drivers driving their cars at you. That's what DUI and DWI (driving while impaired) laws exist to regulate. It doesn't matter if a drug is legal or not. People will drive while impaired or under the influence, and they already do.

2. There is nothing immoral about cannabis. That is your judgment of people you know nothing about.

3. I am 100% pro-legalization of cannabis. I haven't smoked it since the 1980's, and the last time I had a gummy, it was for pain of post-surgery recuperation, and I absolutely hated it and will never try that again. The next time I have that kind of pain, I will have my licensed medical professional prescribe me a 3-day supply of Vikoden - which is an opiate, and legal, and if I drove under the influence of it I would surely crash and injure or kill someone - or myself. So again - judgment of people you know nothing about.