I voted to legalize pot. However before if it passes, it would go into effect, there will be a challenge to the federal government since their laws are different.

Living in California where we can grow a better selection of plants than anywhere in the country, why would I plant a weed like cannabis? I long ago gave up planting something just because it was easy. Al

I didn't think this was the forum for this sort of thing, but now that others have responded, here's my opinion: There are many reasons to NOT vote for the legalization of cannabis, e.g., do you really want to have more people driving next to you stoned; the black market will always thrive; scum will always sell to our young kids; etc., etc.

Shame on California for leading other states downward. With the legalizing of "medical" mj, doctors and others have become more corrupt. Vote NO on 19.

Shame on California for leading other states downward. With the legalizing of "medical" mj, doctors and others have become more corrupt.
Really? Do you think that a doctor who's cool with writing phony prescriptions for marijuana would be an upstanding citizen if it weren't for medical marijuana?
I would hazard a guess that any doctor who has no problem making a couple of bucks off of unnecessary medical marijuana prescriptions would be the same doctor who has no problem making a couple of bucks off of unnecessary tranquilizer prescriptions. Medical marijuana did not turn Dr. Goodytwoshoes into Dr. Deviance. Every field has their scum bags. They'll do scummy things regardless.

"do you really want to have more people driving next to you stoned; the black market will always thrive; scum will always sell to our young kids; etc., etc. "

You realize people drive stoned (and drunk) now. Driving while impaired is against the law. You're right the black market will thrive because there is no legitimate market. You should look at this history of Prohibition, there was a lot more bootlegging when it was illegal than legal. It is easier for kids to buy pot than alcohol. Alcohol is sold in legitimate business that ID their young customers. Pot dealers aren't legitimate and don't care.

Keep your blinders on though so that you can't look right of left. Just keep looking straight ahead. If you ban it, it's not there.

you spellded "cannabis" rong.
Anyways, all kidding aside, there was a "legalize weed" initiative on the ballot way back in 1972 I think it was. Wasn't that one also called Prop. 19? Didn't pass then, won't pass now. Legalization will happen eventually though. Decriminalization is evolving.

Hey Eloise, what do you think the scum will do to your young kids in jail, when your young kids get a long mandatory prison sentence for harmless youthful experimenting?

Meanwhile what's going to happen to the young kids still free outside, when murderers, rapists and child molesters are let out of prison early to make room for more and more incarcerated young kids who are guilty of harmless youthful experimenting?

Marijuana is quite available, whether it's legal or not. I don't have need nor room for it in my life, but if I did, I could get it. The same goes for your children. Those who want it can find it, those who don't want it won't want it just because it's legal. What about alcohol? Have you raised your children to be responsible? If they're under drinking age and want alcohol, they can find it. If they're under or over drinking age and don't drink alcohol, being legal doesn't matter either. Same goes for marijuana. Being legal will not make them or anyone else smoke it if they aren't going to otherwise. What *will* change is that there will not be people in prisons for smoking marijuana, possibly your children and, yes, in there with truly bad criminals. The police department / government can spend its time going after murderers, rapists, burglars, thieves, terrorists. If your kids are smoking, drinking, yes, they may try marijuana...but they're going to whether or not it's legal. Alcohol is legal. I don't care to drink. Tobacco is legal. I don't care to smoke. I don't smoke marijuana now, if it's legal I still won't care to smoke it. All of the people who do not want it legalized just fail to realize that it's already quite available. Keeping it illegal does not change that.....

I'd rather be driving on the road with potheads than drunks. The war on drugs has failed, just like prohibition failed. Einstein's definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. The druglords and user theiving are worse than any problems from legalizing pot. The California Democrats are neutral on this which is so CS. The long term health effects of pot are a fraction of alcohol. We live in a real world, not an ideal world.

I don't have need nor room for it in my life, but if I did, I could get it. The same goes for your children.

You stay away from my children!

Sorry, couldn't pass that one up.

And this thread has WHAT TO DO with gardening in CA? The OP said that cannabis is "one of the most popular plants in CA and the nation"

I see roses, tomatoes, potatoes, fruit trees ... well, just many subjects for the garden forum .... don't see cannabis .... meaning the opening statment is "far removed from the truth" [ie: HORSE TWACKLE]

This subject has as much to do with gardening as subjects that I've spent a lot of energy on ... ILLEGAL IN-MIGRATION and EDUCATION.... but I wouldn't dream of imposing those non-gardening subjects on the people who read and participate in this forum. An ethical constraint that the OP is not bothered with.

gargwarb, I'm sorry. You may have misunderstood me. What I'm saying is that making it legal does not change much. It is already readily available whether or not it's legal. Keeping it illegal does not keep it away from young people. They can find it easily if they want to. I believe their choosing to do so has much to do with the way they are raised.

If we all knew each other's politics we wouldn't have no more fun on Gardenweb.
I vote for fun!
Renee

Fun?
I didn't see that initiative on MY ballot! Maybe it was just a local measure for you in SoCal, Renee! No fair!

I'm going to immediately start the initiative process so FUN will be on the Statewide ballot next election! And a mandatory fruit tree in every yard!

Carla in Sac

wcgypsy -

Oh no, no, no. I was about a million miles from being serious in my comment. I knew what you meant.
It was just that taken out of context, those two sentences would mean something so radically different from what you intended to say that I thought I would do just that. I probably should have let it lie the but the set up was just too perfect. That's what I meant by "Sorry, couldn't pass that one up".

All the above is just hot air. It didn't pass.

I might have voted for it if this country did a better job pushing the idea that you don't need drugs and alcohol to have a good time. (Drink responsibly? Are they kidding me?)

I'd give anything to have back the high school years I wasted getting stoned. I'd love to have all the money back that I blew partying in my 20's, not to mention all the beautiful mornings I wasted on a hangover.

I've got no qualms with people who drink or smoke, but I do have serious issues with how we glorify alcohol in this country, when what we should be doing is taxing and campaigning against it like we do for tobacco. Last I checked, no kid ever wrapped his car around a tree because he smoked too many cigarettes at a party, but he's a pariah if he smokes, a movie star if he drinks. Doesn't make sense to me at all.

To the poster who says it feels good to get stoned, you can feel even better building something in your back yard, creating a bed of veggies, going for a bike ride, or relaxing in your hot tub. THAT will do more for you, your kids, family and community than spending the evening on your couch with a bong eating Cheetos and watching Jack Ass reruns. Been there. Done that.

It remains legal in CA for me to grow 6 mature cannabis plants or 12 immature ones regardless of yesterday's vote. I would welcome a GW forum or a CA forum thread devoted to the various issues surrounding the legal growing of various cannabis strains.

To my friends and neighbors that voted that it isn't enough to just regulate my behavior in society, you need to regulate my state of consciousness as well, you make me feel like a second class citizen (especially with assumptive posts such as the one above). Let me make my own choices as an adult and then I'll accept the consequences, don't make my choices for me or vote me into outlaw status because of what I eat, drink or smoke.

I'm not gay or Muslim or an illegal alien, so I guess this the closest I can get to feeling what it's like to have the majority of people around me reject me for what I am. Honestly, it's not a great feeling.

I don't even drink or smoke, but I personally feel that the drug war does far more harm to society than cannabis itself does.

Dicot why not ask GW to start a Cannabis forum. I don't know how it's done but you could try the "contact us" link at the bottom of every page in the green bar.

Better luck in 2012!

California's majority is s00000000000 strange! They've blocked The Weed but elected brown & boxer who are much more dangerous in comparison to weed.

At least I was consistent - THREE NO's

Politic aside, I am under the impression that Californian can legally grow cannabis if one has a medical permit or some sort? For those permit holders, where and how can they do it since I assume seeds or so are illegal for sale?

I didn't mean to offend anyone and apologize if I did. My intent had been to speak of my own experience, but realize that with my poor choice of wording, it came off as if I'm putting other people down. I didn't mean to do that.

I understand the arguments in favor of legalizing pot and agree with most of them. I just don't think drugs and alcohol should be pushed to teens, and when I look at how irresponsible corporations are when it comes to selling booze, I'm not really excited about handing them marijuana too.

But that's just one side of a debate with many sides, all of them valid.

The people who grow that particular plant are usually spectacular horticulturalists with amazing dedication and skill, (due to high motivation, I assume).

Not a plant I would ever or will ever grow or use, but if I grew all the plants in my garden with the same skill I'd have the most beautiful garden in the world, so I admire growers of that plant for their skill, (though not their product).

The country spends hundreds of millions of dollars a year keeping cannibis illegal. Eventually we won't have the money to do that any more.

Loribee, just a reminder that prison should not be pushed to teens, either. And if they ever do get out, uninfected by AIDS or hepatitis after having to submit to the violent convicts, they won't be eligible for financial aid for education or any of the other grants and programs that are in place to help violent criminals like rapists, child molesters and murderers. These ex-cons can get financial aid for education, but your pot smoking teen can not. And with the mandatory minimum laws in effect, a non-violent teen caught with a small amount of personal use cannabis could do a longer sentence than the above mentioned violent criminals. Is any of that good for teens? Well, I guess it does protect the profits of big pharma. Can't have people growing free garden variety pain relief.

Could be worse in Mississippi, though. Remember twelve years ago when Republican Representative Bobby Moak proposed the "Smoke a Joint, Lose a Limb" law?

I know cannabis is easy to grow, because my neighbor, who had a miserable looking garden, grew beautiful cannabis in his attic! Al

Shoo! Scat! Scram!

The good news is that the promoters of legalizing cannabis will be meeting with lawmakers,etc. in order to come up with with better legislation on legalizing marijuana and it will be on the ballot again in 2 years.
It's not over yet.....

Borderbarb, let me follow your logic:

OP says cannabis is a popular plant to grow. You say there is no forum for it on garden web so it is "far removed from the truth". It looks like your "logic" is that since GardenWeb doesn't have a forum for the plant. It must not be popular.

Let me give you some information:

The cannabis economy in CA is estimated to be worth 14$ billion dollars annually in sales. No CA agricultural product comes close to this.

There are numerous publications, magazines, internet forums and even higher educational institutions dedicated to cannabis.

Indeed this is a very popular plant to grow. Much more popular than many of the dedicated forums here. Look at the traffic in some of these forums and then go look at the traffic in a cannabis forum.

"but I wouldn't dream of imposing those non-gardening subjects on the people who read and participate in this forum. An ethical constraint that the OP is not bothered with."

Who is imposing this on you? The thread title clearly states what it is about. You choose to read it.

Why can growing cannabis not be gardening? People fertilize the plants, water them, sometimes grow them in a greenhouse. I have a feeling you don't know that George Washington grew it. Thomas Jefferson grew it and actually would trade his hemp seeds with other farmers, much like people trade seeds on GardenWeb today. It sure sounds like gardening to me.

I don't know why you would question my ethics. This was a legitimate referendum on our CA ballots. A proposition to legalize a plant that has spent more time legal in this country (161 years) than prohibited.

You say "Who is imposing this on you? The thread title clearly states what it is about. You choose to read it."

Indeed! The thread title indicates that you are campaigning for Prop 19. That is a political activity and has no place in a forum designed for gardeners. You were not asking a question about how to deal with a problem with your MJ plants. BTW ... my adult son finds the vermicompost from my worm pit very helpful in raising his cannabis plant. [for is own medical use]

I repeat ... Shoo, Scram, get lost! Oh no, did hims feelings get hurt? Take a hit and chill out.

Please note that when you enter California Gardening there is a Conversations link. That is where you can bring up whatever nonsense you want. But this part is the ON TOPIC link. It is not for introducing political agendas but is for introducing growing plants and topics relevant. As for Cannabis, you could talk about My MJ plant and how I grow it or Growing Grass under lights. Those are suitable.
but if you want a forum to address your political concerns about legalization then check the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Grass City Forum

Ok, granted that most of the members who visit the CA forum could give a damn over the growing or legal aspects of cannabis, having this thread posted here has garnered more postings than it would had it been posted in the conversations forum for CA. It's good to see more activity on this forum...

I repeat ... Shoo, Scram, get lost! Oh no, did hims feelings get hurt? Take a hit and chill out.

I don't take hits because I don't smoke marijuana. Thanks for bumping the thread though like musaboru said it's important to discuss these things.

borderbarb you sounded very angry, are you ok?

There are two contradicting theories here. First, Its Human Nature to go after the hidden/prohibited thing. So, Not legalizing is surely giving the stuff undue importance. Secondly, To study its effects, The government can legalize it for a specific period too. Laws can be amended in this manner.

In the sprite of gardening website, is cannabis plants showy? annual or perennial? size?

It was once considered beautiful enough to make a pattern on Impression Glass dishes. I have to admit I've never actually seen a plant, but I don't think they have much of a flower; it could be used as a border plant grown for its interesting foliage.

What about the Cocaine plant? Is that legal to grow? Indians chew raw leaves everyday in South America. I always wondered about that plant.

Funny thread,,,, We legalized in Colorado. Housing equity is off the charts. People moving here from all over the world and some with sick children. Millions in tax revenue , crime rate is Way down. Jails are not as full. GPA averages in college and HS have increased an entire grade point. Employment rates are up and increased $2 per hour. Less DUI and DUID. Less death in motor vehicles. No Denver riots like Ferguson. Its a peaceful utopia here. And we can grow the most awe striking plant and flowers/buds that cleans the air and soil like no other. We're showing the world how to fix the planet with a plant. Come and visit on 4/20 , April 20th, celebrate the New World and we love the Haters also. Business -Green houses, nutrients, soil you name it we got the Best of the Best , THIS IS A GROW YOU OWN STATE! Cannabis or what ever you want to grow we got it. If you love plants Colorado USA is the place to live!