The Marijuana Gap

Here's an interesting turn.
A couple of states are suing Colorado because pot is legal there.

(emphasis added)
Nebraska and Oklahoma Sue Colorado Over Marijuana Law

DENVER — Two heartland states filed the first major court challenge to marijuana legalization on Thursday, saying that Colorado’s growing array of state-regulated recreational marijuana shops was piping marijuana into neighboring states and should be shut down.
The lawsuit was brought by attorneys general in Nebraska and Oklahoma, and asks the United States Supreme Court to strike down key parts of a 2012 voter-approved measure that legalized marijuana in Colorado for adult use and created a new system of stores, taxes and regulations surrounding retail marijuana.
While marijuana remains illegal under federal law, officials have largely allowed Colorado and other states to move ahead with state-run programs allowing medical and recreational marijuana. But the lawsuit from Nebraska and Oklahoma, where marijuana is still outlawed, argues that Colorado has “created a dangerous gap” in the federal drug-control system.
“Marijuana flows from this gap into neighboring states,” the suit says, undermining their marijuana bans, “draining their treasuries, and placing stress on their criminal justice systems.”~snip~

I have a hard time believing the “draining their treasuries" claim seeing as how asset forfeiture is a big thing with states. Along with criminal penalties asset forfeiture, like taxes, assures an income stream. As far as stressing their criminal justice system there's an easy remedy for that.
There's another option besides making it legal and taxing the crap out of it or making it illegal and seizing property and levying fines.
Decriminalize the use or possession of pot in small amounts. Say around a pound and allow the private sale or bartering between individuals and place a limit on the number of plants that can be cultivated on ones private property.

I'm against out and out legalization on the grounds that it simply creates another revenue stream for greedy local and state governments to squander away.... like they do all taxes.
Legalizing it, as the article says, just creates a new system of taxes and regulations along with inefficient, unionized and incompetent government workers along with it.

Law enforcement should be using their resources to go after murderers,rapists,robbers and others who commit dangerous crimes against society.
Not wasting their time going after recreational pot users cause that really is a strain on the criminal justice system.

Marijuana Goes Mainstream

I'll admit that when I was a very young man I used pot and unlike Bill Clinton I actually inhaled.
Back when you could buy a "nickel" and an ounce cost $10.00.
Smoking pot back then was sort of a revolutionary act a way to stick it to the "man" and throw off the oppression of the government and uptight squares.
Plus I kind of liked getting high.

That was back in the day when love was free, more women where becoming single moms, started exploring food stamps and welfare and divorce became "no fault".

Hardly good social changes.

I'm not saying smoking pot caused these changes but I do know that it can rob people of their ambitions.
I can't tell you the number of times I've sat around listening to people at the time get high and then lay out their entire lifes plan then instead of acting on it all they did the next day was get high again.

But then again that's what being an American is all about, as John Kerry said we do have a right to be stupid.

So it's no surprise that a majority of Americans would poll to support legalizing pot.

Majority Now Supports Legalizing Marijuana

For the first time in more than four decades of polling on the issue, a majority of Americans favor legalizing the use of marijuana. A national survey finds that 52% say that the use of marijuana should be made legal while 45% say it should not.
Support for legalizing marijuana has risen 11 points since 2010. The change is even more dramatic since the late 1960s. A 1969 Gallup survey found that just 12% favored legalizing marijuana use, while 84% were opposed.

Yup, that's right, something that used to be a revolutionary act is going mainstream with the public and you know if it ever does get legalized the federal and state governments are going to tax the shit out of it.
As a matter of fact a lot of them are salivating at the prospect of another revenue stream. The very same governments who have been been crappy stewards of our money as it is.
Because they have been so bad at it before they need new ways to raise taxes so they can piss away even more. Pot will be perfect for them for the simple fact that it will be considered a vice like alcohol or cigarettes so the tax potential will be unlimited.

When pot becomes legal it'll be the governments opportunity to stick it to the users again.
Counter culture going full circle, how ironic will that be?