Marijuana Legalization Bill

[TeePee4Prez]

Clause 1.  Marijuana shall be a legal substance in Atlasia.

Clause 2.  A federal tax of 5% shall be levied on the sale of marijuana along with any taxes the state may want to levy

      a.  Revenues from the sales shall go 75% to education

Clause 3.  Any Atlasian imprisoned on a marijuana related charged shall be released from prison albeit state or federal.

    a.  Freed up revenure from the prison system shall go toward education and job training.

           i.  30% of this revenue shall eb set aside for job training for release inmates of such marijuana related crimes.


This does two things:

     1.  Reduces high prison population which is a burden to taxpayers.
      2.  Creates a new source of funding for education.

[Redefeatbush04]

I suggest you include increased penalties if marijuana is involved in the commiting of another crime. For example: driving while high, or robbing a bank while  high.

[Hermit]

I suggest you include increased penalties if marijuana is involved in the commiting of another crime. For example: driving while high, or robbing a bank while  high.

Wouldn't driving while under the influence of pot fall under Driving Under the Influence? And why give someone extra penalties for robbing a bank under the influence of a legal substence? We don't charge people with bank robbery and public intoxication if they rob a bank drunk.

[Peter]

And why give someone extra penalties for robbing a bank under the influence of a legal substence? We don't charge people with bank robbery and public intoxication if they rob a bank drunk.

Being drunk or high would be considered to be an aggravating factor in the commission of the crime; It would thusly increase the sentence more than simple bank robbery. I don't know enough about the US penal code to tell you for sure, but I'm pretty sure that various aggravating circumstances can have their "value" in terms of years in jail increased or decreased by statute. That said, bank robbery and DUI are state crimes, and punishment for them is therefore defined by the regions.

[Hermit]

Being drunk or high would be considered to be an aggravating factor in the commission of the crime; It would thusly increase the sentence more than simple bank robbery. I don't know enough about the US penal code to tell you for sure, but I'm pretty sure that various aggravating circumstances can have their "value" in terms of years in jail increased or decreased by statute. That said, bank robbery and DUI are state crimes, and punishment for them is therefore defined by the regions.

Hm, I didn't know this. But, yes, it would be a regional thing, and something that I think in most cases could simply be modified into current alcohol-related laws.

[Akno21]

Perhaps you should link the education spending directly to the recently passed Education and Care for Those in Poverty Act. 

[7,052,770]

I support this bill.  If a person wants to harm themselves, whatever, as long as they don't harm anyone else.

[StevenNick]

There is absolutely no reason that we need to be legalizing marijuana or any other currently illegal substance.  The government should not take any part in creating a culture of licentiousness.  This is, frankly, a stupid bill that has only been introduced because Irishdemocrat feels the need to pursue his radical ultra-liberal pet projects rather than concentrate on the issues that actually matter.

[MAS117]

You need to put a limit on how much you can possess. After this amount its a crime. You also need to include rules for driving while high. I support this bill for the most part.

[Fritz]

It is ABOUT TIME!!!

I strongly support this bill.

[TeePee4Prez]

Perhaps you should link the education spending directly to the recently passed Education and Care for Those in Poverty Act. 

I will take this and MAS's suggestions seriously and consider them in this Bill.  


Addendum to Clause 1.  No Atlasian may possess more than 1 ounce of marijuana.  

Clause 4.  Increased revenues and the decreased expenses from the prison population shall be tied to Akno21's Education and Children in Poverty Act.

[7,052,770]

There is absolutely no reason that we need to be legalizing marijuana or any other currently illegal substance.  The government should not take any part in creating a culture of licentiousness.  This is, frankly, a stupid bill that has only been introduced because Irishdemocrat feels the need to pursue his radical ultra-liberal pet projects rather than concentrate on the issues that actually matter.

The government isn't creating any kind of culture.  The culture is already there; this bill just declogs our prisons and makes something good come out of something that is bad.  This is hardly an ultra-liberal pet project, and it is an issue that actually matters.

[Hermit]

The government isn't creating any kind of culture.  The culture is already there; this bill just declogs our prisons and makes something good come out of something that is bad.  This is hardly an ultra-liberal pet project, and it is an issue that actually matters.

Not only is the government not creating some kind of deviant culture, but by legalizing pot and having it sold in FDA Approved, no doubt coporate produced increments, in shops, it will take a huge bite out of revenue going to drug dealers, the same money that finances much more dangerous crime.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Addendum to Clause 1.  No Atlasian may possess more than 1 ounce of marijuana. 

As a fan of metrification, could you please express this in grams instead of ounces?

[John Dibble]

As a citizen, I support legalized marijuana, though I do think that the states/regions should still be allowed to illegalize it if they wish to do so.

[Fritz]

Why restrict the amount one can possess?  There is no restriction on the amount of alcohol one can possess.  I see no reason for including this in the bill.

[Bono]

Altough I agree with the basic principles of this bill, the final result is very stupid.
First, it forces regions to do something, which is unconstitutional, at the light of all the ammendments to be passed.
Second, by taxing marijuana, it maintains the black amrket anyway, such as for cigarrettes.
Third, as Fritz said, it is preposterous to limitate the ammount one can posses.

[Hermit]

Second, by taxing marijuana, it maintains the black amrket anyway, such as for cigarrettes.

How much of a black market is there for cigarettes, really? Legalized pot would be much cheaper than what one could buy on the blackmarket, most times, and would be guaranteed safe. Also more easily available.

[The Duke]

This is a great bill.  Let's admit we can't control something, then pass a law whose purpose is to control the thing we just legalized because we can't control it.

Oh wait, no, that's not a good idea at all.

With drug use falling consistently over the past decade and change, I see no reason to walk away from stigmatizing and legalize this destructive substance.

[Siege40]

I'm very torn on this bill. The principle, increasing the liberties of citizens, looks good, but the bill's wording bothers me. If the vote were tomorrow, I'd abstain.

Siege

[Bono]

Second, by taxing marijuana, it maintains the black amrket anyway, such as for cigarrettes.

How much of a black market is there for cigarettes, really? Legalized pot would be much cheaper than what one could buy on the blackmarket, most times, and would be guaranteed safe. Also more easily available.

There is a lot of ciggarette smugling.

[TeePee4Prez]

I'm very torn on this bill. The principle, increasing the liberties of citizens, looks good, but the bill's wording bothers me. If the vote were tomorrow, I'd abstain.

Siege

What specifically?

[Hermit]

Second, by taxing marijuana, it maintains the black amrket anyway, such as for cigarrettes.

How much of a black market is there for cigarettes, really? Legalized pot would be much cheaper than what one could buy on the blackmarket, most times, and would be guaranteed safe. Also more easily available.

There is a lot of ciggarette smugling.

About 2 to 6 % of cigarettes are smuggled, I understand. And some of that money goes to terrorism. About 99% of pot is smuggled/sold illegally. Imagine how much that would change, how much money would cease to go into the criminal's hands and start to go into education.

[Bono]

Second, by taxing marijuana, it maintains the black amrket anyway, such as for cigarrettes.

How much of a black market is there for cigarettes, really? Legalized pot would be much cheaper than what one could buy on the blackmarket, most times, and would be guaranteed safe. Also more easily available.

There is a lot of ciggarette smugling.

About 2 to 6 % of cigarettes are smuggled, I understand. And some of that money goes to terrorism. About 99% of pot is smuggled/sold illegally. Imagine how much that would change, how much money would cease to go into the criminal's hands and start to go into education.

Ok, we'll do but we'll need to tax abortion by 5% too.

[TeePee4Prez]

Second, by taxing marijuana, it maintains the black amrket anyway, such as for cigarrettes.

How much of a black market is there for cigarettes, really? Legalized pot would be much cheaper than what one could buy on the blackmarket, most times, and would be guaranteed safe. Also more easily available.

There is a lot of ciggarette smugling.

What?