Why are cigarettes legal, but marijuana illegal?

[MTK]

Originally Posted by RobH4413

Pot is illegal on the federal level. No matter where you are in the United States, a federal agent can arrest you for possession. This however is rather difficult to do since there only 2000 or so DEA agents (correct me if I'm wrong) and Marijuana isn't really top priority.

States can have laws that protect you from local authorities, but no-one can protect you from the Federal Government. However it is pretty unlikely to be busted by the DEA for Marijuana.....

I think Denver has decrimilized pot, and many parts of the country are following suit. You'll start to see the more liberal areas of the country doing this more and more, and usually that's in the major cities.

In D.C. it's virtually impossible to get a conviction, I had a buddy at school charged with intent to distribute, and his case was thrown out of court. It helps the police focus on serious crime, which in my eyes is a more efficient policy.

Yeah alot of states have decriminalized it. You can find state by state info on the norml website.

[That Guy]

Originally Posted by RobH4413

In D.C. it's virtually impossible to get a conviction, I had a buddy at school charged with intent to distribute, and his case was thrown out of court. It helps the police focus on serious crime, which in my eyes is a more efficient policy.

DC penalties are nothing compared to VA. give beer to underage people in VA = up to a year and 2500$. in DC, maximum of a $500 fine. crazy.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

I love the demoralization of America. It smells like victory.

[ArtMonkDrillz]

I have a hard time believing that pot could be made widely available in any one state, even if it was legalized there, because it is still considered a federal crime to possess/smoke it. IN place like California, for instance, it is legal for medical purposes but you still have to keep it (and the shops that sell it) on the down low because the Feds are constantly looking for doctors who prescribe it for their patients so they can bust them.
I feel like the same thing would happen in Nevada. The local and state cops would ignore it but the whole state would be crawling with DEA agents.

[MTK]

How about Canada, aren't there legal pot cafes or something up there?

[TheMalcolmConnection]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

How about Canada, aren't there legal pot cafes or something up there?

There are a LOT of things in Canada that are legal and questionable here.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

VA is crazy with laws in general. Strictest with most.