When will pot become a mainstream political issue?

[DGuller]

I'm heavily studying for my next exam now, so obviously my thoughts start wondering about everything except the exam material.  I took a mental count of my friends, and realized that I know for a fact that half of them smoked pot with some regularity (as opposed to trying it once).  I assume that some others are as well, particularly work friends who have to be careful about disclosing certain information.

Clearly the situation reached a point where anti-pot laws erode respect for law, and not pot smoking, and it's time to draw the line on drugs somewhere else.  It seems like majority of Americans now agree.  And, yet, it seems like neither political party is on-board yet, and the feeling is that being openly pro-pot without hiding behind medical bullshit is stilll unviable.

The question is, when do you think that will change?  When will pot legalization be one of the campaign issues to be openly debated?

[Razgovory]

Never!

[derspiess]

The problem is that so many advocates of pot legalization are poster children for keeping it illegal.

[Valmy]

Well it is in many states.

[DGuller]

I know there were some referendums, but are there mainstream politicians who campaign openly on the issue of pot legalization?

[Viking]

Max Planck - Science proceeds one funeral at a time.

[Martinus]

I know there were some referendums, but are there mainstream politicians who campaign openly on the issue of pot legalization?

The party that considers it one of its primary goals in Poland got 15% of votes in last elections (becoming the third force in the Parliament) and the social-democrats are sympathetic, too.

[MadImmortalMan]

Clearly the situation reached a point where anti-pot laws erode respect for law, and not pot smoking, and it's time to draw the line on drugs somewhere else

That applies to many things beyond just pot.

[Sheilbh]

We've got effective decriminalisation now.  It's technically illegal but practically tolerated and more or less everywhere.  I don't think there'll be any movement for legalisation while that's the situation.  What's the point?

[KRonn]

The problem is that so many advocates of pot legalization are poster children for keeping it illegal.

Pot smokers should be put in jail!!! Oh wait, we already do that.


I almost don't care what we do with pot; legalize it or not. I'll listent to pro and con arguments on it though.

[grumbler]

The Human Rights Party legalized pot in Ann Arbor in the 1970s, and everything worked out okay, until their unwillingness to ensure proper garbage collection lost them their dominance on the city council.

Not sure when someone will have the guts to propose pot legalization as part of a comprehensive plan to reduce unnecessary government involvement in shit that's not really the government's concern... wait, maybe it will be soon, but I am sure that the zealots will vilify such a person based on statements they probably never made in a period long ago.

[CountDeMoney]

The problem is that so many advocates of pot legalization are poster children for keeping it illegal.

Yup, sorta the same way PETA's message gets lost in the madness of their methodology.

[jimmy olsen]

The problem is that so many advocates of pot legalization are poster children for keeping it illegal.

50% are in favor now.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/150149/record-high-americans-favor-legalizing-marijuana.aspx

[Iormlund]

This is another one of those things that make Americans seem so alien.

Here you can literally do coke in front of a police car and they will simply look the other way.

[CountDeMoney]

This is another one of those things that make Americans seem so alien.

Here you can literally do coke in front of a police car and they will simply look the other way.

Hell, in some police departments you can do coke on the front of a police car, and they will simply look the other way.