Legalize Poker and Pakalolo

[MixedPlateBroker]

Re: Legalize Poker and Pakalolo

Me? I am into math. And it is no secret that mj doesn't advance one's living. Plus, I grew up homestead; I know a lot more about pakalolo and all of its effects than I ever cared to.

These two issues have been bandied about politically for decades, and on a local level. That you frame your question in "why the feds and why not us decide" made me wonder where the heck you been.

Yes, the state legislature habitually revisits the ideas of legalized gambling and mj posession/growing/use. But there is no final decision. Although there are pitfalls in overindulging in either of these vices, the same falls true for cancer sticks, fire water and prescription pills.

Yes, it's no secret that mj has been scientifically proven to improve appetite, quell nausea, prevent glaucoma and provide anti-carcinogenic factors. It's also a social truth that nations/states that prohibit/demonize the milder vices fall victim to symptoms of their abuse.

We can look to few countries for lessons in proper handling. Germany has a legal drinking age of 15, but a minimum age of 18 for driver licensing. This results in better drivers and and a lower incidence of DUIs. Parents give their children non-alchoholic beer from the time they are toddlers and people grow up knowing the proper way to enjoy alchohol in moderation.

Then there's Amsterdam. Famously known to have cafes where you can enjoy your mj with a cup of joe. What many people don't know is that the city is one of the prime economic centers of Europe and is home to the oldest stock exchange on the planet.

I personally know someone who parlayed the profits from a successful backyard Honolulu mj growing & selling operation into legitimate real estate investments. She is far from your stereotypical shiftless porch paperweight.

I'm not saying legalized poker and mj are the magic bullet for Hawaii. But one would do well to keep an open mind to the benefits of such an arrangement.

[scrivener]

Re: Legalize Poker and Pakalolo

Pua`i (as usual) is winning the argument here, by sheer strength of intellect, but while I agree with her on just about every point, I can't make the leap to her conclustion. The original poster's argument is weak, but I agree with the conclusion. So unfair.

Yes, marijuana is a waste of time and it leads to all kinds of crime. Still, if I've got the time and the legitimate means to pay for the goods, I don't understand why I can't waste either of them as I see fit. I work too dang hard for my $39,000 per year and if, after my 15.5 hours per day of hard work, I'd like to light up, deal a few hands of poker, and watch America's Funniest People, I don't see what business it is of anyone else's.

Once I let the behaviors lead me to real crime, then yeah, let the state come in and punish me for the crimes I've committed.

ps: I neither smoke nor gamble.

[tikiyaki]

Re: Legalize Poker and Pakalolo

Yes, marijuana is a waste of time and it leads to all kinds of crime.

Wait...where are the statistics to prove that statement ? That seems like a blanket statment about all drugs, but I think that out of all illegal drugs, it pertains to pot the least.

Most real stoners are too lethargic to do the kind of crimes that drugs are usually responsible for, like B&E and petty theft.

Meth, dust, and cocaine cause that kind of behavior more because they are amphetamines, pot is not. Like I always say, you never see a bar room full of stoned people get into a fight. The same cannot be said for alcohol.

I'm more in agreement with MixedPlateBroker.

While pot still has it's negative sides, I think lumping it in with the likes of coke,speed,heroin and even alciohol is ignorant. It's a different drug.
Unless laughing,sleeping, and eating alot of potato chips is considered anti-social behavior, I don't think pot can be considered the same as these other drugs.

[Palolo Joe]

Re: Legalize Poker and Pakalolo

It's already legal to play poker in Hawaii, as long as it's in the privacy of someone's home and there is no "house" taking a cut.

In my opinion, marijuana is no worse than alcohol or tobacco, and there are just as many vocal supporters of its legalization as there are opponents.

If the government would legalize pot, the tax benefits would be realized immediately. MILLIONS of tax dollars would be generated, and you can bet tourism would be affected in a positive manner.

Those rich folks that come here to stay in Waikiki? Yup, there are smokers among them, too.

Not a smoker myself, nor do I play much poker. But I'd rather have legal gambling and legal marijuana instead of batu and an ever-worsening homeless situation.

[MixedPlateBroker]

Re: Legalize Poker and Pakalolo

"(J+D+S)=X" is actually an argument for legalization of mj. All those letters become moot if one can easily walk to their corner bodega and pick up a sack of Kahaluu sticky for less than the price of a pack of Kool menthols.

PJ is right. Legalizing/regulating/taxing marijuana growth/sale/use would generate millions of dollars for the state. Money which could be used to help fight the scourges of batu, fatal vehicle-pedestrian interactions and illiteracy.

Maybe where the feds need to draw the line on drugs is to outlaw all the physically addictive, scientifically-proven harmful substances that have no medicinal value. That would make mj, which has been shown to be only psychologically addictive, perfectly legal. Cigarettes on the other hand (see "nicotine withdrawal"), would no longer be welcome on store shelves.

I don't think Pua'i has anything to worry about though. Thanks to the deep pockets of lobbyists for companies such as R.J. Reynolds & Phillip Morris, fed-legalized mj is about as viable as a switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

[tikiyaki]

Re: Legalize Poker and Pakalolo

I wonder how many of the coffee and mac nut farms on the BI would become marijuana farms , or include marijuana in their crops , if it were legalized in Hawaii.
I bet all those subdivisions in Puna would get bought up real fast for farms if it were legalized.

The Tax dollars could probably end the homeless problem in Hawaii, as well as improve education (2 things I see alot of people posting about on this board), if the Gov't would send the money in that direction.

The same could be said for California, another prime state for pot growing.

Here in Cali, it's legal for medicinal purposes, so that's a start.

Just for the record. I'm no pothead. I use it when I'm really stressed out and can't sleep. Puts me right out. I resort to using it for this reason about 2-5 times a year,so for me, I consider it "medicinal use".

That being said, I grew up in the 70's smoking pot here and there, but never tried any of the other drugs that it's supposedly a "gateway" to, so I don't really agree on the "gateway drug" argument either.

People who have addictive personalities get addicted to drugs and alcohol, the latter of which, I believe has been scientifically proven to be genetically predisposed to some people.
Addictive personalities also overeat, gamble, shop and all kinds of other stuff that is legal (in some states)

In my opinion pot has been badly stigmatized. I mean, how else could alcohol be legal and pot, ILLegal ? Look at the all the effects alcohol has on people, the dui's, the violence while under the influence. The physical addiction.

Think about someone who's had too much Jeagermeister or Gin.
Stoned people just don't get that crazy, they don't vomit when they've had too much. They don't get belligerent.

You smoke too much pot and you go to sleep. That's it.

[GnosticWarrior]

Re: Legalize Poker and Pakalolo

It's already legal to play poker in Hawaii, as long as it's in the privacy of someone's home and there is no "house" taking a cut.

In my opinion, marijuana is no worse than alcohol or tobacco, and there are just as many vocal supporters of its legalization as there are opponents.

If the government would legalize pot, the tax benefits would be realized immediately. MILLIONS of tax dollars would be generated, and you can bet tourism would be affected in a positive manner.

Those rich folks that come here to stay in Waikiki? Yup, there are smokers among them, too.

Not a smoker myself, nor do I play much poker. But I'd rather have legal gambling and legal marijuana instead of batu and an ever-worsening homeless situation.

Thanks for the reminder Palolo Joe! Forgot about that social gambling law. I was thinking more inline about having poker rooms like California has. From some of my experiences on the table, trying to make money off the rake or for hosting the game sort of ruins the spirit of the skill factor of poker. I also saw people who would tell me of their addictions to drugs or what not but somehow were still holding on to this one. Wasting their lives on the table and neglecting their families. Scratch that about legalization, keep it social!

I actually think legalizing MJ is less harmful than poker to society. Don't mean to sound like we are compromising our integrity due to our desperation, but maybe with this homeless situation we have been put in a corner to really explore the truths of Hawaii. Where do we as residents want Hawaii to be and the path we agree to take to get there? Is the current system working for us now? So by choosing a new path, how much worse could it get?

[GnosticWarrior]

Re: Legalize Poker and Pakalolo

I wonder how many of the coffee and mac nut farms on the BI would become marijuana farms , or include marijuana in their crops , if it were legalized in Hawaii.
I bet all those subdivisions in Puna would get bought up real fast for farms if it were legalized.

You bet, I wonder if anyone is already speculating on it! I think it's just a matter of time. For all those who are against more construction this is the solution. Imagine, seeing a piece of land that had the potential to provide millions or maybe billions in income, with zero concrete, zero electricity?

I would feel better if Gore was president instead of Bush. But maybe thanks to Bush there is going to be a backlash to their conservative policies as going too far. You already see MJ in alot of movies now. That's another thing, I think we could get support from Hollywood. Whitney Huston's thing at the airport awhile back already brought some attention. MJ in mainstream music is out there more than ever. The dam is going to break soon, and probably people are already positioning themsleves of where the money from MJ will be. Unfortunately for Hawaii though, legalizing MJ is also a threat to some powerful industries, Alcohol and Pharmacuticals. It's a definite power struggle. Any you know what, the Canadians and Californians are doing more to win this struggle. May Hawaii needs to decide if she wants to join in?

For the record, I'm just talk. If any I remeber maybe giving a small amount to NORML but that's just about it, except maybe for being a consumer from time to time.

[Beachboy]

Re: Legalize Poker and Pakalolo

I think there is a lot to be learned from Marijuana. We have barely touched it in our society. First off we live in a society that is pretty damn anal at best! I mean look, we aloud GW Bush to be elected to two terms in office because conservatives thought he represented their views. Should Marijuana really be treated criminally, or it's use? America needs to take a look on how places like Holland and GB deal with their drug addicts. We could learn from our European brothers a thing or two.
Medically speaking Pakalolo has a place in our society as far as I'm concerned. It looks like it helps people who are HIV positive, or with Chronic illness. Personally I'm tired of scare tatics used by the DEA on medical doctors who want to percribe medical marijuana to ill patients. Why should they feel threatened if they wanna help terminally ill patients? Again, having a anal retentive Gov. doesn't help our ill here or abroad..

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: Legalize Poker and Pakalolo

http://news.yahoo.com/jackie-chans-s...094228111.html

Cheech & Chong & Chang.