In my opinion, full blown legalization wouldn’t be beneficial. Too many greedy hands in the cookie jar until there’s nothing left. That being said, I’m all for complete federal decriminalization.
My biggest fear with complete federal legalization is that big conglomerates and corporations will most likely try to monopolize the plant. Companies like Phillip Morris and the like that has been lobbying to maintain schedule 1 status and big pharmaceutical companies that have restricted the research on cannabis and actively lying about the little research that has managed to be done, will be the same ones running to the patent office with their slightly genetically modified cannabis plants to gain overall monopoly power over the entire industry.
The gene pool will be even more watered down than before. Breeders will find themselves unable to breed or make more stock because their genetics will have already been patented through some shady back door loophole. The seeds and clones going forward will be completely sterile. The home grower will more than likely be unable to legally grow their own because Philip Morris would have monopoly on the production, and Monsanto will have monopoly on the genetics.
Everyone will be forced to smoke their eagle 20 laden dirt. Mom and pop operations will be run into the ground because the effective collapse of the price of a unit. Anyone found growing without a license from a big corporate entity will be thrown under the jail.
But that’s all assuming the worst.
I’d like for it to happen this way:
Full scale federal decriminalization. Anyone and everyone has the right to grow their own unlimited supply. People who cannot grow their own can be provided for by a caregiver. Big corporations lose their ass because they aren’t trusted by the people. Large scale third party medical research funded by collected taxes. Also collected taxes should go towards education, job creation programs, health care programs and other services that provide the most value to the people. Regulated labs for consistent test results, meaning no inflated lab tests. Anyone with nonviolent federal drug charges related to cannabis should have their charges expunged and felony status revoked and those still sitting in jail should be released immediately after a presidential pardon is issued.
It should be left up to the states to decide what they want to do. But it should be up to the people to do the right thing. Don’t vote for a shitty bill because “oh yeah, legal weed”. Read the fine print.
Peace 