ANNAPOLIS -- Dozens of people testifying before Maryland lawmakers on Tuesday called for an end to the state's battle against marijuana, one part of the decades-long national war on drugs that supporters of legalization and decriminalization say has done more harm than good.
In the session's first real wave of marijuana legislation hearings, members of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee weighed measures proposing to make recreational use of the drug legal for people 21 and older. Another proposal would shift possession of small amounts of the drug to a civil, rather than criminal, offense.
In a heated debate, proponents of both bills pointed to what they called the negative consequences of prohibiting marijuana, including the barriers to employment and education created by marijuana-related arrests and the racial disparities that often surface in arrests.
In 2010, Maryland had the fourth-highest arrest rate for marijuana possession, with African-Americans being arrested for possession at higher rates than whites in every county in the state, according to a report released by the ACLU in October.
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19 comments:
Liberals and their hypocrisy.
Ban Tobacco
Endorse marijuana
Really?
Legalized it!
It's time to stop treating people like criminals for something the last 4 presidents have admitted using. I don't like alcohol but that doesn't mean I should say it should be illegal. We've already been down that road and it only makes things worse when the gangs take in revenue that the state could be getting.
1:22 - how about legalize? since you are making statement? or has the muck that has chemically altered your brain, made you dumber? back in the day (16 yrs ago) we were taught marijuana had more carcinogens than smoking, , , did that teaching just get forgotten?
Save Humboldt County, keep marijuana illegal. By the way 2:10 who taught you that bs, obviously not modern science, maybe ancient propaganda efforts. Cooked steak, roasted coffee, and the gasoline in your car got carcinogens too
They have always taught lies about pot? You believe everything they ever taught you?
It's all about two things...Revenue! and making it fair to the poor minorities that would rather sell weed than work!
Hilarious 2:59. Plenty of caucasions sell marijuana. And the whole point should be to have the state legally sell it from established businesses so you don't have the black market, and all the crime that comes along with it. The blatant racism in these comments on a daily basis is amazing.
Selling weed is work. Just like selling real estate or life insurance, you gotta have the best product and cater to your clientele
Im 55, a registered independent, smoked it in the past - never beat anybody or stole anything. Did not think it was addictive. I really don't care. But why legalize it and take the criminal element out of it like we did with booze. Doesn't history teach us valuable lessons ?
Reaaly? Legalize Pot but deny Maryland citizens their 2nd Amendment rights? What an incredible injustice. Reminds me of the Soviet Union. They had zero civil liberties and the politburo kept them placated with vodka. Anyone see the similarities? It is time to take back Maryland from these corrupt bastards.
Way too much stupidity in one thread. Legalize it. How free are you if not free to decide what to put or not put into your own body.
9:02pm as free as you want as long as you don't burden the rest of us using our tax dollars for your rehab program or our tax dollars to pay your medical bills. As long as you don't spend my hard earned money for your drug habit I could care less what you ingest. But since we're all stupid. .you're clearly smarter than the rest of us
There is so much ignorance in the comments. Do some research, people. Marijuana has FAR less carcinogens than tobacco.
Any drug - whether it's heroin or crack, or even alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine - all trick your brain into releasing chemicals, typically serotonin and dopamine. Cannabis doesn't l! Your brain already has a very complex cannabinoid system, and it only responds to cannabis. You are born with a system who's only purpose is to respond to cannabis use.
If you think people who smoke pot are lazy, you are wrong. Pot doesn't make people lazy. Laziness makes people lazy. There is quite a large group of peaceful and productive pot heads. Plus if you knew anything about the plant, you would know that a plant can be sativa dominant or indica dominant. Indicas tend to mellow you out and relax, while sativas are high energy.
THC, the most commonly know cannabinoid, has been shown in numerous studies to destroy cancer cells while promoting healthy cell growth. There is not a single drug on the market that does this. Yet we all turn a blind eye to the chemicals that are clinically tested for 6 months and then sold and prescribed to patients, not knowing what the long term effects are.
CBD is another cannabinoid that has amazing medicinal qualities. It is a non addictive (CBD doesn't get you high, that's THC) pain killer (also completely impossible to overdose) and anti seizure medicine.
We have a chance to legalize a completely natural medicine that has proven time and time again to cure, heal, and even reverse illnesses. And a chance to take away money and power from an illegal trade that is taking over our neighborhoods, schools, and streets. We have a chance to provide the thousands of people who use it with safe access to clean and healthy product.
Stop relying on misinformation and start doing your own research before you spread even more ignorance.
Tylenol has killed way more people than marijuana. Not even close!
9:20 you ever heard of someone in rehab for just pot?
8:33, yeah, the courts send them to rehab all the time after they pick up a possession charge, and then Medicaid pays the fees.
8:45 If it was legal they would not be in court. You make another great point as to why it should be legal.
Talking about rehab, lets look at what alcohol has done with costs of rehab and the burden on tax payers. 9:20, where do you get your reasoning from? Alcohol has invaded every part of life, and you worry about Pot? REALLY? Are you even close to having a brain and saying that? WOW!!! I can't believe you even come close to having the guts to even trying to say that. Do you realize that at one time it was a voters choice weather it would be Pot or Alcohol that would be legalized? All the government propaganda against Pot?
You my friend are a true,,,(wait for it),,,, GOOD OLE BOY!!
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