3 ms·

I don't get why the response claims that the fixed price makes weed a stable currency. In principle, it just pegs weed to the dollar, right?

ary 16y ago
Yes, and a point that isn't mentioned in the article is that the price of weed might be dropping at roughly the same rate the American dollar is being inflated. So what we could be looking at is a coincidental equilibrium. As more US states decriminalize marijuana the costs (risk and otherwise) of production and distribution decrease. I'm in Denver, CO and just the other day walked past a small police station with a cannabis dispensary right next to it. The times they are a-changin'. * Edit: Made my initial point less ambiguous.
- Ennis 16y ago
  I assume you mean as more states decriminalize "medical" marijuana...right? I haven't heard of any that have decriminalized it.
  - ary 16y ago
    Making marijuana available for medical purposes is basically decriminalization. I drew the distinction as I've encountered people who think that states are legalizing it which is an entirely different thing. Practically speaking decriminalization is making pot available to a much wider audience at a lower cost as (at least in Denver) there's no practical limit to how much people can buy. One person with a medical marijuana card can (and does) supply a fair number of people without. * Edit: Fixed a typo.
  - zoomzoom 16y ago
    Actually, about 12 states have decriminalized MJ. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decriminalization_of_non-medical_cannabis_in_the_United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decriminalization_of_non-medica....
    - deleted 16y ago
      [deleted]
  - kissickas 16y ago
    A bunch have decriminalized it- that usually just means it's treated as a less serious crime in court. https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Decriminalization_of_non-medical_cannabis_in_the_United_States https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Decriminaliza... States with medical laws are more like legalization (for medical uses) than decriminalization. https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Medical_cannabis_in_the_United_States https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Medical_canna...
  - tseabrooks 16y ago
    I believe you misunderstand what "decriminalization" is. Marijuana being "decriminalized" simply means it is not a felony to possess it in amounts intended for private use. This is the case in a number of states including Ohio where I grew up. In Ohio they'd joke about it being a "50$ fine"... I don't know if that's the actual fine but there is no fail time and simply some fine for marijuana possession in small quantities. Also, in many of these states you'll find that enforcement of marijuana laws are fairly lax in general. A friend was pulled over with marijuana in their car and the judge changed the charge to "public disturbance" or some such so that they wouldn't lose their student loan eligibility and other things.
- code_duck 16y ago
  I just visited Colorado and the situation there is SO DIFFERENT than 10 years ago, or the standard in the rest of the US... it's nuts. You drive down a street in Denver, Colorado City (Springs), or Fort Collins and it's Bud Med, Pure Health, Green Med, etc. one after another. The laws are clearly in flux now. It's in this crazy gray region, where sure, some people that have cancer, MS and AIDS are in MUCH BETTER positions where they don't have to deal with black market BS outside of their comfort zone to get medication that makes them feel so much better, but on the other hand, people who clearly want cannabis just for recreational use are getting prescriptions to get high. Which I don't see anything wrong with, other than the fact that the law should just face reality and acknowledge that some people want to spend their afternoon hikes and TV time high on weed and not try to control their lives. This is progress, but it's not there yet. Clearly the next step is to stop making casual smokers pretend they are in severe pain' or 'uncurable depression' to get their weed. It's not any more harmful than beer, and even if it was more harmful than gin, it's not any of the government's business to tell people how they spend their mind power.

ary 16y ago

Yes, and a point that isn't mentioned in the article is that the price of weed might be dropping at roughly the same rate the American dollar is being inflated. So what we could be looking at is a coincidental equilibrium. As more US states decriminalize marijuana the costs (risk and otherwise) of production and distribution decrease. I'm in Denver, CO and just the other day walked past a small police station with a cannabis dispensary right next to it. The times they are a-changin'. * Edit: Made my initial point less ambiguous.

Ennis 16y ago
I assume you mean as more states decriminalize "medical" marijuana...right? I haven't heard of any that have decriminalized it.
- ary 16y ago
  Making marijuana available for medical purposes is basically decriminalization. I drew the distinction as I've encountered people who think that states are legalizing it which is an entirely different thing. Practically speaking decriminalization is making pot available to a much wider audience at a lower cost as (at least in Denver) there's no practical limit to how much people can buy. One person with a medical marijuana card can (and does) supply a fair number of people without. * Edit: Fixed a typo.
- zoomzoom 16y ago
  Actually, about 12 states have decriminalized MJ. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decriminalization_of_non-medical_cannabis_in_the_United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decriminalization_of_non-medica....
  - deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]
- kissickas 16y ago
  A bunch have decriminalized it- that usually just means it's treated as a less serious crime in court. https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Decriminalization_of_non-medical_cannabis_in_the_United_States https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Decriminaliza... States with medical laws are more like legalization (for medical uses) than decriminalization. https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Medical_cannabis_in_the_United_States https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Medical_canna...
- tseabrooks 16y ago
  I believe you misunderstand what "decriminalization" is. Marijuana being "decriminalized" simply means it is not a felony to possess it in amounts intended for private use. This is the case in a number of states including Ohio where I grew up. In Ohio they'd joke about it being a "50$ fine"... I don't know if that's the actual fine but there is no fail time and simply some fine for marijuana possession in small quantities. Also, in many of these states you'll find that enforcement of marijuana laws are fairly lax in general. A friend was pulled over with marijuana in their car and the judge changed the charge to "public disturbance" or some such so that they wouldn't lose their student loan eligibility and other things.
code_duck 16y ago
I just visited Colorado and the situation there is SO DIFFERENT than 10 years ago, or the standard in the rest of the US... it's nuts. You drive down a street in Denver, Colorado City (Springs), or Fort Collins and it's Bud Med, Pure Health, Green Med, etc. one after another. The laws are clearly in flux now. It's in this crazy gray region, where sure, some people that have cancer, MS and AIDS are in MUCH BETTER positions where they don't have to deal with black market BS outside of their comfort zone to get medication that makes them feel so much better, but on the other hand, people who clearly want cannabis just for recreational use are getting prescriptions to get high. Which I don't see anything wrong with, other than the fact that the law should just face reality and acknowledge that some people want to spend their afternoon hikes and TV time high on weed and not try to control their lives. This is progress, but it's not there yet. Clearly the next step is to stop making casual smokers pretend they are in severe pain' or 'uncurable depression' to get their weed. It's not any more harmful than beer, and even if it was more harmful than gin, it's not any of the government's business to tell people how they spend their mind power.