1) Your TL;DR is longer than the text that preceded it.

2) How do Verizon and the others make money specifically from people texting and driving? I'm unaware of any phone plans that do not include unlimited texting. How does texting while driving make more money than texting while not driving?

3) Any proof that Verizon and others lobby specifically for keeping texting and driving legal? I'm pretty sure texting and driving is illegal in my state.

4) Why is assuming that tobacco companies trying to make money off of selling weed "uneducated?"

TL;DR: No offense, but what are you talking about?

1) So... you just decided to format your post completely opposite to the norm. 10-4.

2) Should I? Or should you perhaps better articulate yourself and include some links that support your statements? I didn't start the thread, you did. And it looks like you spent about 3 minutes worth of effort on it. It might as well be one of those "look at my cat, I'm so unique" posts.

3) So if I ask everyone "What heavenly body orbits our planet?", and they all say, "the moon", it's automatically an uneducated answer? I don't know if we have math to look at with regards to a situation that has never happened, and while I'd make a point to avoid weed sold by tobacco companies in the event it became legal, I have little doubt millions of other Americans would buy from their already preferred brands. Again, I don't believe you have any actual data to support this idea.

To pacify the people. Also the police have already been heavily militarized through the drug war and the excuse is running thin. More and more drugs will become legal and "safer" for people to use more frequently in order to distract them.

Not just a distraction, but as you said: pacification. Stoners don't tend to be aggressive people anyway, and weed further relaxes people. The stress that might have been the tipping point for many people gets relieved.

I agree - it's a group anesthetic for the coming war and famine.

I've been thinking this for a minute now that's part of the reason I quit,

Well, there is really not much you can do besides wasting your vote on a third party candidate.

Hey, I know you we've argued before. I agree it's out of,my hands.

Please don't say that the tobacco companies will start selling marijuana because that is a very uneducated answer.

They are waiting till it expands more so they can grow it themselves. To say that is an uneducated answer is ignorant.

A lot of weed smokers also light cigarettes. I don't they feel completely threatened.

Because people voted for it.

Exactly everyone thinks its the government here but in reality it was lots of funding from pro legalization groups who raised money to raise awareness for WHY it should be legalized. The government was the one funding the vote no campaigns here in oregon. People want weed legalized. If anything people are being "pacified" by monsanto and the food industry.

There has never been a legitimate reason for "weed" having been "made" illegal.

Unless you owned a lumber or cotton business, then it seemed legitimate enough.

You are right. There are other commercial uses.

.... 2 completely different products, 2 completely different companies

A lot of people roll joints with tobacco

Alcohol and pharmaceutical companies stand to lose a lot more. And I can only imagine what companies like Monsanto would like to do in order to insure that you can no longer grow it easily in your home.

Your question rests on an unproven assumption ie. that tobacco companies would lose money after legalization.

Is there any evidence for this? The only evidence would come from an analysis of tobacco sales before and after legalization. It's still too soon to say if there has been a noticeable difference.

As for weed becoming legal, or being "allowed". Maybe the politicians realize that the demographics have changed. Every year, an ever-increasing % of voters are in favor of legalization. If a politician that picks the right time and place to support legalization has a better chance of getting elected... that politician will support legalization.

Most opposition to legalization comes from the older generations of voters. They aren't a numerical majority, but most of them vote. We probably would have legal weed in a lot more states (and countries) if more young people got out and voted the same way older people do.

We probably would have legal weed in a lot more states (and countries) if more young people got out and voted the same way older people do.

Under the assumption that our elections (and therefor our votes) are appropriately executed in such a manner as to reflect the actual votes... =-p

How would they lose revenue? There's no correlation between the two.

I think it's a sign of the tide finally turning. At least around certain issues.

I agree dude, that and cash strapped local govts are amiable to suggestions for easy sources of money. Lets face it, its a tax no one who buys weed will mind paying, so no pain in introducing it, and if "the people" themselves make the decision via referenda so much the better for the govt, they don't have to pretend about morality bullshit, they can say "not our decision". Basically its a win-win for the end-user and the govt getting proceeds. Only problems will be for the various pushers, like alcohol companies. Why the original poster thinks tobacco, as opposed to alcohol or pharma, would be worried by the legalization of weed is odd...

Why the original poster thinks tobacco, as opposed to alcohol or pharma, would be worried by the legalization of weed is odd...

I had the same thought, actually. But i dont think alcohol is in any trouble. There are just some things a beer is better at than a joint, imo.

Yes and no, they'd lose a lot of volume in certain places, but no of course not, no one really loses out. Portugal decriminalised everything, every single controlled narcotic, over a decade ago and they still sell plenty of tobacco and alcohol and pills and you name it. The most shocking thing for people will be how little changes, and the decades of propaganda starts to sink in for what it was...

-MONEY-

That's all there is to it. Taxes. Billions in tax possibilities for governments.

Always, always follow the money.

Correct, but they're letting the people themselves vote it in, not tabling their own bills.

Big Pharma and private prisons need their fix, yo.

Yep

You're wrong about tobacco companies. Marlboro has been buying up land in the green triangle in California for years.

It makes you more passive and docile. Yes it opens your mind, but it honestly, esp with people my age makes you less apt to do anything really.

[deleted]

How the hell could lsd be a weapon? They already tried for that and it proved to do the opposite of what they wanted. Lsd was one of the defining things that woke me up. It helps you see the dots so that your mind can connect them. Lsd would just create a bunch of loving, caring, sharing people. It would erase the imaginary boundaries between "different types" of people. It helps you to see that we are all the same, and we only have one planet to share between us. Maybe bath salts or some shit, but no psychedelic would help their cause.

Non-mobile: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_MKULTRA

^{That's why I'm here, I don't judge you. PM /u/xl0 if I'm causing any trouble. WUT?}

Yeah they thought it was going to work, but it didn't have the reaction they expected. Why use lsd, or anything else for that matter, when Datura exists?

Have you ever personally used LSD? Or researched it independent of any preconceived notions? I feel like you have a misconception about that substance.

People that smoke pot usually smoke cigarettes as well. I don't think Marijuana is a competitor or even alternative to cigarettes either.

First off, in my state it is actually illegal to text and drive. You technically cant even look at the screen to check who is texting/calling. But anyhow,

I think weed is bdcoming legal because the People have finally reached the critical mass to begin such movements in politics. Enough of the People have realized that marijuanas safety is many times greater than that of alcohol or tobacco (admittingly, it is stil not 100% safe). Enough of the People have realized that it can be used as a medicine to provide natural relief to those suffering. Enough have risen up and spoken out.

Now, if we csn reach critical mass like thst on more important issues, maybe we can take back our country from our own government...

Thr tobacco companies and pander and peddle all they want. But their millions is no match for a cognizant populace. See, theres the key. If the People remained ignorant and relied on their (fake) representation to take over their wellbeing without accountability, than the situation where the tobacco companies could actuslly make a big infkuence. But, when the people become knowledgable and wiser, the companies lose their leverage.

They say an ignorant populace is a controlled populace. A populace that is wise and knowledgable is a threat to tyranny -- always.

Nonetheless, i think what we shoukd be looking at is big pharma. Theyre not going to accept marijuanas medicinal properties thst make many of their synthetic poisons obsolete. Big Pharma is the group thats going to be lobbying to the FDA to keep marijuana illegal, as they have been doing.

If you look deep enough, big pharma and the fda begin to become inseperable entities, in terms of ideology, methods, motives, and purpose.

Please.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtvuKB5c4o0