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Pot Now Legal in Other States; Laws Ambiguous in AlaskaMedical marijuana card-holders safe to grown their own marijuanaRelated Content
ANCHORAGE - Residents in Washington State and Colorado have voted to make recreational marijuana use legal, opening the door for regulating and taxing the lucrative industry. We asked some Alaskans what they think of the idea of making the popular drug completely legal. Opinions were mixed on the subject. Some said they did not believe that legalizing the drug would take it off the black market and that it could still be a problem for those who might become addicted or find themselves advancing to “harder” drugs. Others said they liked the idea of being able to regulate and even tax marijuana businesses. Still others said they did not believe that “throwing people in jail” over small amounts of marijuana made sense or was a good use of police resources. But it doesn’t appear that Alaska will be regulating legalized marijuana anytime soon. The state was one of the first to decriminalize small amounts of the drug but another law attempted to turn that around in 2006. The law to recriminalize the drug passed at that time but the higher court has yet to rule on an appeal. “It is illegal to possess marijuana unless you have a medical marijuana certificate,” said Lieutenant Dave Parker of APD. “Then you can grow up to six plants for personal use and you can’t share that with other people.” And more Alaskans do carry the cards. There are more than 1,200 medical marijuana users registered with the state right now, compared to less than 60 just four years ago. From a federal standpoint marijuana is still considered an illegal drug. The federal government has chosen not to enforce that law when it comes to medical marijuana. |
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Shawn said on Saturday, Feb 16 at 5:01 PM
Raven Vs State of Alaska is all you need to know. You can have up to 4 oz or 24 plants in the comfort of your home as per the Constitution of Alaska and the invasion f privacy.
113698901Anonymous said on Wednesday, Nov 28 at 4:01 PM
I would rather see a kid go take a nap after a joint then take a dirt nap and never get up from booze and or hard drugs...they need to be happy with sobriety! It is hard with all the "feel good" products that are now available...even those sold on the open market...
107854066Anonymous said on Thursday, Nov 8 at 4:21 PM
(oops) before the alcohol has exxited your blood system.
106134531anonymous said on Thursday, Nov 8 at 4:19 PM
there are a lot bigger "bad-er" things someone can do... kill/rape/assault/destroy homes or cars, but mj is a drug; it is not safe to, after using it: drive, work, cook, or take care of kids or elders, bcoz u the user are over-relaxed similarly to a person who drinks and does any of these four things.
106134382Anonymous said on Thursday, Nov 8 at 2:55 PM
Gateway drug? Addiction? I can hardly believe anyone who says these things have acutally smoked weed. There is no possible way to ever overdose on it, I have never in my life heard of anyone that has done any crime to obtain weed. All people who are against it either had a bad experience on it or have had negative propaganda shoved down their throats and swallowed it without questioning it. It's time for change, this is a pretty harmless drug, hell, Alcohol and cigarettes kill more people worldwide and those are legal.
106127662Anonymous said on Thursday, Nov 8 at 1:40 PM
It comes down to how you use it. In what moderation and for what purpose. Do I commit crimes to support my habit? Do I rape and steal? Do I abuse others? Do I use it to escape my life? Do I use it because others are using it and want to belong? I dress and wear certain clothes to fit it. Can I still be a productive member of society while I use them. I see that a lot of cigarette smokers use marijuana on occasion. Why not call cigarettes the gateway drug. Then there are the marijuana smokers that can’t stand the cigarette smoker. Tobacco is a legal form and processed product that grows from the earth. How does what we put in our bodies effect our sociological system. The health problems from smoking. The cost of health care. Treatment. And the cost of police.
106121185Anonymous said on Thursday, Nov 8 at 1:40 PM
This is all coming from an ex user of all the above. I do indulge in the occasional cigarette or glass of wine or beer or shot now and then. I get a very different feeling from cigarettes now and alcohol. I can’t stand the smell of either of the groups, alcohol, cigarette smoke, or marijuana smoke. The feeling of each is affected by tolerance levels of the individual. Eventually you need more to gain that euphoric feeling.
106121145Anomymous said on Thursday, Nov 8 at 1:39 PM
To me there is no difference between marijuana and tobacco or any form of either of them. It is more socially acceptable (proof through US history) that cigarettes are more accepted. Think of the way cigarettes are processed and the chemicals that are used. Then think about alcohol and prohibition. You can compare different ways of processing of both to make them more potent or harmful. Why not regulate just like food. What ingredients, chemicals, and additives are used. Are we lacing our cigarettes and weed with additional drugs? Why not take an organic approach. Natural. What causes use of all the above. It is the sociological aspect of use that needs to change. As years pass and go on it becomes more socially accepted and tolerated. There are laws but how are we interpreting them or enforcing them. Change is slow. What are the social problems that cause overuse? Why are some people addicted? You can have an addictive personality as well.
106121105anonymoose2 said on Thursday, Nov 8 at 1:17 PM
Oh, the logistics of legality, with addiction and/or abuse as relevant and related topics. Remember: addiction and abuse can occur with nearly any substance or idea, legal or otherwise (our children are high on sugar, public servants high on 'power,' and nerds have the Interwebs!)
106118485recovering said on Thursday, Nov 8 at 11:21 AM
i am a heroin addict who has been in recovery for two years. i can only speak for myself, but for me, marijuana was definitely the gateway drug that led to my addiction.
106107266Roger said on Thursday, Nov 8 at 9:37 AM
This is directly from the National Institute on Drug Abuse: The potential medicinal properties of marijuana have been the subject of substantive research and heated debate. Scientists have confirmed that the cannabis plant contains active ingredients with therapeutic potential for relieving pain, controlling nausea, stimulating appetite, and decreasing ocular pressure. Cannabinoid-based medications include synthetic compounds, such as dronabinol (Marinol®) and nabilone (Cesamet®), which are FDA approved, and a new, chemically pure mixture of plant-derived THC and cannabidiol called Sativex®, formulated as a mouth spray and approved in Canada and parts of Europe for the relief of cancer-associated pain and spasticity and neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis.
106095055Anonymous said on Thursday, Nov 8 at 9:32 AM
As of November 2009, Alaskan courts have not considered the constitutionality of this statute. Appears as though it's completely in limbo.
106094626anonymous said on Thursday, Nov 8 at 9:26 AM
Ravin v. State is a 1975 decision by the Alaska Supreme Court that legalized possession of small amounts of cannabis (four ounces) in the state. It was brought about by Irwin Ravin, an attorney who deliberately got arrested in Anchorage for refusing to sign a traffic ticket while in possession of marijuana in order to challenge the existing law. Ravin felt that the case was more about privacy.
106093885businessman said on Thursday, Nov 8 at 8:42 AM
I am a 55 year old conservative business man, 50 years in Alaska, who does not smoke or drink, and have a son who is in law enforcement in Alaska. I feel the current marijuana laws should be revised. I would much rather be around a pot smoker than a drunk any time. Gateway drug? try alcohol.
106088572Robin Scheff said on Thursday, Nov 8 at 7:49 AM
I do think it is sort of ridiculous that we are putting people in jail for marijuana still. I have seen a lot of people 'high' on pot and I've never seen any of them get violent. They giggle, eat, giggle some more, listen to music, talk if they can, but not violent. I've seen a LOT of people drink Tequila and get pretty violent. We are wasting tax money on pursuing and prosecuting these people with pot. We need to legalize pot, make it something government controlled, and get our country out of debt. We could all bask in the HUGE income from this plant. I don't smoke it, but I did when i was younger. Not interested now because I'm a professional and just don't have time for that silliness, but I just can't see why it is still illegal. Ridiculous.
106083186Anonymous said on Thursday, Nov 8 at 7:25 AM
WHAT YOU WROTE IS A LIE. GET BETTER LEGAL ADVICE!!! Quote"fact is marijuana is non addictive and for some is a cure for cancers, fact is you do not need a medical card to grow and posess up tp 24 plants or 4 ounces in tyhe provacy of your own homes, lt parker is mistaken. see ravin vs st of alaska." Howdumb are you?
106080551dammit said on Thursday, Nov 8 at 5:35 AM
#1 GATEWAY DRUG? CAFFINE.#2 NICOTINE #3 ALCOHOL
106070275Anonymous said on Thursday, Nov 8 at 2:47 AM
the biggest thing kids try first is alcohol making it the number one gate durg
106059736its medicine said on Thursday, Nov 8 at 12:46 AM
fact is marijuana is non addictive and for some is a cure for cancers, fact is you do not need a medical card to grow and posess up tp 24 plants or 4 ounces in tyhe provacy of your own homes, lt parker is mistaken. see ravin vs st of alaska.
106054632Anonymous said on Wednesday, Nov 7 at 11:08 PM
someone called the cops the Nazi's and I laughed then but see their point now...
106051321Anonymous said on Wednesday, Nov 7 at 9:02 PM
Is it still illegal to be drunk in a bar? WTF Alaska, what kind of morons approved that law???
106045491Anonymous said on Wednesday, Nov 7 at 8:19 PM
Anchorage police are a bunch of d-bags for the most part. They're happy to lie about what the law actually is. Thank god for attorneys!!!
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