Nevada becomes fifth US state to allow cannabis sales for recreational purposes

I don't even smoke/eat pot and I'm happy this is going through. It's just a mire of confusion that tobacco and alcohol are legal, while a relatively harmless drug is federally illegal. You can't even do medical research on MJ as the laws stand. Mostly because of a backlash against a counter culture who didn't support a corrupt set of government officials and a textile industry that doesn't even produce in America, anymore. I'm (obviously) American, but this propping up of a legacy of corruption and convenient morality is just infuriating...... sorry. Rant =)

I’ve never been able to understand how the anti-weed interests have been able to rationalize the astronomical costs of enforcement and punishment for so long. Even if I went out on a limb and said, “well, it’d suck if TONS of people smoked TONS of pot ALL of the time”, then I’d still be skeptical about whether that’s a problem worth spending billions of dollars (and locking up millions of people) to address.<p>Put another way: am I missing some sane way to do a cost-benefit-analysis for cannabis policy that winds up showing costs (or negative externalities) that are big enough to conclude that criminalization is the best answer?

I can&#x27;t believe so much money was spent on this shit. Unlike alcohol, cannabis is less addictive and way more pacifying, it doesn&#x27;t make people violent, at worst it makes them dumb, unmotivated and complacent - just like alcohol.<p>There&#x27;s literally no reason to it being banned <i>if</i> alcohol is still legal. It&#x27;s a better replacement, too.<p>I smoke every now and then, to relieve stress. I just go to sleep, I don&#x27;t like the high and unlike alcohol I can still follow through on that thought of &quot;nah, it detrimental&quot; when I have stuff to do.<p>Alcohol is like &quot;one drink, man, you&#x27;ll be good&quot; and then it&#x27;s all downhill because one drink leads to half a dozen. Every. fucking. time.

To anyone who&#x27;s confused by the title: the law was passed in November (by ballot referendum), but it went into effect today, with the first recreational sales. (Medical marijuana was already legal in Nevada).<p>By contrast, Massachusetts also legalized marijuana on the very same day - and by an almost identical vote margin - but Bay State legislators are still contemplating whether to let the law take effect at all, and it&#x27;s unclear if and when recreational sales will actually become legal.

Am I missing something:<p>&gt; People aged 21 and above can now buy up to an ounce of the drug at a time and use it in their homes if they have a valid <i>ID in the western state</i>, which is famed for the hotels and casinos in its largest city Las Vegas.<p>&gt; The millions of tourists who visit Nevada cities every year are expected to make nearly two of every three purchases from retailers, who began selling pot early on Saturday morning.<p>It requires a Nevada ID but they expect tourists to make two thirds of the purchases?

This, after being told <i>over and over</i> again in school how bad (I specifically remember marijuana being mentioned) drugs were for you.

&gt; Marijuana smokers will still face fines of up to $600 if they light up in public places, including casinos, bars, restaurants, parks, and concert halls, and driving under the influence of the drug remains illegal.<p>Anybody know if that includes when you&#x27;re in your hotel room or just on the open casino floor? If so, does &quot;non-smoking room&quot; apply to marijuana as well?

From the <i>Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas</i> movie: <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.upout.com&#x2F;blog&#x2F;wp-content&#x2F;uploads&#x2F;Vintage-Nevada-marijuana-sign-e1415719315494.png" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.upout.com&#x2F;blog&#x2F;wp-content&#x2F;uploads&#x2F;Vintage-Nevada-...</a>

This is going to come in handy for the upcoming Burning Man event, although there it&#x27;s going to be difficult to define what a public space is and what not.