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A comment on California ballot measure to decriminalize adult use of hallucinogenic mushrooms. Parent comment

Re:California ballot measure to decriminalize adult use of h... by weaksauce on Tuesday August 29, 2017 @08:10PM (#15128705)
> unrestrained access to something and increase its availability

Nothing about decriminalizing the use of something does that. It's still illegal to sell it but people won't have a felony on their record for trying it. I don't think the drug should ruin people's lives just because they used it or had a personal use amount on them when they were driving while black/mexican/suspicious looking to a cop as they tend to get pulled over more in a vicious cycle.

I don't use them and have no real desire to but I am not a fan of 1. paying for nonviolent drug users that are in prison and 2. ruining someone's life with a felony possession charge and 3. even if they can get off without jail time and have their record expunged they are in debt to a lawyer for thousands for no really good reason.

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Re:California ballot measure to decriminalize adult use of h... by dragonwriter on Tuesday August 29, 2017 @08:21PM (#15128745)
> It's still illegal to sell it

No, under the actual measure proposed, as stated in the source article, it would no longer be illegal under state law for adults 21+ to sell it.

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Re:California ballot measure to decriminalize adult use of h... by weaksauce on Tuesday August 29, 2017 @09:15PM (#15128978)
I was on mobile and these sites are awful to read on it so I didn't see that detail. I was going off of the bill that Arnold signed for Cannabis decriminalization that made it still an infraction to have it/use it/sell it but not lead up to a year in jail like the current system will do to a mushroom user.

I am not sure I agree with this proposal unless they make it as an infraction to buy and sell it. (not a misdemeanor and certainly not a felony)

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Re:California ballot measure to decriminalize adult use of h... by dragonwriter on Wednesday August 30, 2017 @12:58AM (#15129816)
> I was going off of the bill that Arnold signed for Cannabis decriminalization that made it still an infraction to have it/use it/sell it but not lead up to a year in jail

That never happened. A decriminalization bill passed one Assembly committee when Schwarzenegger was governor, but it didn't leave it an infraction (it had a system of commercial license for growing and selling), and neither it nor any other made it out of the legislature to his desk.

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Re:California ballot measure to decriminalize adult use of h... by johnwheeler on Tuesday August 29, 2017 @08:15PM (#15128717)
> Nothing about decriminalizing the use of something does that.

Behavioral economics wholly disagrees with that. When you take away disincentives, you increase bad behavior like people selling, consuming, etc.

I agree with you about not ruining peoples' lives over it. Maybe a $5000 fine would be enough of a disincentive.

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Re:California ballot measure to decriminalize adult use of h... by weaksauce on Tuesday August 29, 2017 @09:16PM (#15128988)
when Arnold signed the bill decriminalizing cannabis use there were still penalties in place... this is just moving how you punish someone for low-level drug use from jail to a monetary penalty I think.
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