Cnn Opinion Piece: Regulating Legal Cannabis

[+washtenaut]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/27/opinion/nathan-pot-regulation/index.html?hpt=hp_t4

 

...

First, the four essential goals of marijuana regulation are: keeping cannabis out of the hands of minors; reducing harm to adult users; preventing collateral harm to the public and getting the maximum economic benefit from legalization.

Our approach to federal regulation should synthesize the perspectives of both advocates and opponents of legalization. We should look to research on laws controlling alcohol, tobacco and gambling. We can also learn from Colorado and Washington, which have developed regulations for recreational cannabis, and the 18 other states -- plus the District of Columbia -- that have legalized medical marijuana.

...

From a 1969 Cover of Life magazine, 'Are penalties too severe?' and 'Should it be legalized?'

 

[Celliach]

There are two types of legalization:

1) Well-regulated.  No home grows, only available at licensed distributors. (Like hard liquor)

 

2) Able to grow marijuana in the garden next to your tomato plants.

 

Which do we want?

[greenbuddha]

I'd take a cannabis use law very similar to Colorado's were I could grow my own six or so plants for my own personal use anytime, even if I had to contain the grow to an enclosed space. It'd be a darn sight better than what we have now for non-medical users.

 

And we'll NEVER get the ability under any law to grow it openly without restrictions... that's like asking for the right to put up a whiskey still any place you'd want to (not that that's a totally bad idea for those that enjoy the hard stuff... but).

 

Instead we should be putting together a cannabis law that will  give us as many 'reasonable' options as possible.